UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


il62 


^^-   ^^       NeY/-YorK;      /^^WJ 
HARPEf\^&  BROS. 


607     5 


W  A  I  K  N  A; 

OB, 

ADYEFTURES 

ON  THE 

MOSQUITO     SHORE 

BY     SAMUEL    A.    BARD. 


'•Whatever  sweets  salute  the  northern  sky, 
With  vernal  lives,  that  blossom  but  to  die ; 
These  here  disporting,  own  the  kindred  soil, 
Nor  ask  luxuriance  from  the  planter's  toil ; 
While  sea-born  gales  their  gelid  wings  expand, 
To  winnow  fragrance  round  the  smiling  land." 

Goldsmith. 


WITH      SIXTY      ILLUSTRATION. S. 


NEW    YORK: 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS. 

329    &   331    PEAEL    STREET. 
1865. 


\  b  o  o  I 


-A. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1855,  by 

Harpeb  <fe  Brothers, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


1559 
K3  5T 


PREFACE 


Scene. — A  lonely  shore. 
Enter  Yankee  and  Mosquito  Man. 

Well,  my  dark  friend,  who  are  you  ? 

"  Waikna  /"     A  man  ! 

And  what  is  your  nation  ? 

"  Waikna  I"     A  nation  of  men  ! 

Pretty  good  for  you,  my  dark  friend  !  There 
was  once  a  great  nation — a  few  old  bricks  are  about 
all  that    remains   of   it   now — whose   people   were 

proud   to   call   themselves but  then  what  do 

you  know  about  the  Komans  ? 

"  Him  good  for  drink — him  grog  ?" 

Bah  !     No ! 

"  Den  no  good  !    bah,  too  !" 

Eoceimt  amho. 

Now  such  a  dialogue  took  place,  or  might  have 
taken   place,  on    the    Mosquito    Shore.      For    all 


VI  PREFACE. 

artistic  purposes  it  did  take  place  ;  and,  as  my 
book  is  chiefly  devoted  to  the  Mosquito  man  and 
his  country,  it  shall  he  called  Waikna — a  word 
that,  in  the  Mosquito  tongue,  means  simply  Man, 
but  which  is  proudly  claimed  as  the  generic 
designation  of  the  people  of  the  entire  coast. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

Jamaica,  and  how  the  Author  got  there — A  solemn  Soliloquy — An  Artist 
Tempted — Painting  a  Portrait — The  Schooner  Prince  Albert — Captain  and 
Crew — Antonio  —  Superstitions  —  Gathering  of  the  Storm — A  Scene  of 
Terror — ^The  Shipwreck lii 

CHAPTER  II. 

'•  El  Eoncador" — The  Escape — Coral  Cays — Scene  with  the  Dead— A  Night 
of  Fever — Delirium — Island  Scenes — Turtles — A  cruel  Practice — Sail  ho ! 
—An  Encounter — Eevolvers  versus  Knives — Departure  from  "  El  Eonca- 
dor"— Island  of  Providence — A  Scene  of  Kevelry — Away  for  the  Main- 
land        36 

CHAPTER  III. 

Approach  to  Blneflelds — An  Imperial  City — New  Quarters — Mr.  Hodgson 
— The  Mosquito  King — "George  William  Clarence  1"— Grog  versus  Gospel 
— The  "  Big-Drunk" — A  Mosquito  Funeral — Singular  Practices — Supersti- 
tions— An  ill-fated  Colony— Sad  Eefleclions 50 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Eama  Indians— Departure  from  Blueflelds — Canoe  Voyage — Strange  Com- 
panionship— The  "  Haulover" — Our  first  Encampment — Epicurean  Epi- 
sode— Night  under  the  Tropics — Life  on  the  Lagoons — Pearl  Cay  Lagoon 
— Climbing  after  Cocoa-Nuts — A  Solitary  Grave  —  Mangroves  —  Soldier 
Crabs — Eoseate  Spoonbill  —  Eiver  Wawashaan  —  Deserted  Plantation — 
Sambo  Settlement—"  A  King-Paper" — Extraordinary  Eeception — Captain 
Drummer  —  King's  House — Vanilla  Plant  —  Philanthropy  — A  Dance  — 
"Spoiled  Head"— Fire-light  Fishing— Night  Scene T(j 

CHAPTER  Y. 

Visit  to  the  Turtle  Cays— Spearing  Turtle-Jumping  Turtle— Eeturn  to  the 
Lagoon— Off  again— Native  Indigo— Another  Bafulover —  Tropical  Tor- 
ments—Braving the  Bar— Great  Eiver— Temporal  Camp— Continuous 
Eain— Doleful  Dumps— Freaks  of  the  Flood— Eain,  Eain  1— Craw-Fish- 
"  El  Moro"— The  Manzanilla— Guavas— The  Eelease 106 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PAGE 

On  the  River — Strong  Currents — An  Indian  Village — A  "Woolwa  "Welcome 
— Ceremonious  Reception — Relations  of  the  Indians — Their  Habits — A 
Tabooed  Establishment — Projected  Sport — Hunting  the  Manitus — Habits 
of  the  Animal — The  Attack — Great  Excitement — Successful  Capture — Di- 
vision of  the  Spoil — Instruments  of  the  Chase — Another  Epicurean  Epi- 
sode       122 

CHAPTER   Vn. 

Departure — The  Plantain -Tree — Blsbire — Nocturnal  Noises — "  Stining  up 
the  Animals" — At  Sea  Again — Mollusca  of  the  Caribbean — Walpasixa — The 
Moonlit  Ocean — Prinza-pulka  River — Vines  and  Verdure — Savannahs — Vil- 
lage of  Quamwatla— Inhospitable  Reception — A  Retreat— Fatal  Encoun- 
ter— A  Trial  of  Cunning — Tropical  Thunder-Storm — A  Second  Encounter 
—The  Fight,  and  the  Triumph— Flight— Asylum  in  the  Forest— The  Ex- 
planation       18S 

CHAPTER   Vin. 

Tapir  Camp — A  Picturesque  Retreat — Wild  Life — Palm  Wine — Queen  of  the 
Porest — Pine  Ridges — Parrots  and  Paroquets — A  Fright — "  Only  a  Dante" 
— ^Trapping  the  Tapir — Successful  Result — NaiTow  Escape — "An  Army 
with  Banners" — Honey-bees — Communion  with  Natui-e — Once  more  on 
the  Lagoons 162 

CHAPTER   IX. 

Lagoons  of  the  Mosquito  Shore — Indians  and  Sambos — Life  among  the  La- 
goons— Aquatic  Birds — Silk-Cotton  Tree — Water  Plant — Night  Traveling 
— ^Tongla  Lagoon — Fishing — A  Disagreeable  Discovery — The  Chase — Pros- 
pect of  a  Fight — Successful  Device — Diamond  cut  Diamond — Safely  o£F — 
Wava  Lagoon — Attack  of  Fever — Primitive  Physic — Poisonous  Reptiles — 
My  Poyer  Boy  Bitten— The  Cure 179 

CHAPTER  X. 

Leave  Fever  Camp — ^Towkas  Indians — Formal  Reception — Singular  Prac- 
tices— ^Towka  Marriage — Extraordinary  Ceremonies — Presents  Propitia- 
tory— Shouldering  the  Responsibility  —  Marriage  Festival  —  How  to  get 
Drunk — The  End  of  it — Wild  Animals — Indian  Rabbits — The  Curassow — 
Chachalaca — Gibeonite — River  Turtle — Savory  Cooking        ....  200 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Duckwana  Lagoon — Aboriginal  Relics — Sandy  Bay — Mosquito  Fashions — 
Sambos  of  Sanday  Bay — General  Peter  Slam — An  English  Captain — Bru- 
tality— Interference — A  Drunken  Debauch — Mishla  Drink — ^Dances  and 
Songs — A  Sukia  Woman — Opportune  Warning — Hurried  Departure — 
Power  of  the  Sukias — Making  Mishla — A  Disgusting  Operation   . 


CONTENTS.  IX 


CHAPTEK   XII. 

PAGE 

Cape  Gracias — Its  Inhabitants — Fine  Savannah — Sambo  Practices — Novel 
Mode  of  Hunting — Island  of  San  Pio — Mangrove  Oysters — Trial  of  the  Su- 
k;a — ^A  Mysterious  Seeress — Superstitions  of  the  Sambos — Wulasha  and 
Lewire — Character  and  Habits  of  the  Mosquitos — Drunkenness — Decrease 
— Festival  of  the  Dead — New  Plans — Kivir  Wanks  or  Segovia — Iguanas — 
Armadillos 284 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

Eiver  Bocay — New  Scenery — ^End  of  the  Savannahs — Indian  Village — The 
Messenger — A  Night  Adventure — Sanctuary  of  the  Sukia — Hosom-Bal, 
the  Mother  of  the  Tigers — Mysteries — Ruins  among  the  Mountains — Seri- 
ous Impressions — A  Tale  of  Wanks  River — Harry  F.  and  the  Padre  of 
Pantasma .  251 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Up  the  Cape  Eiver — Imposing  Scenery — Storm  among  the  Mountains — In- 
fluence of  the  Moon's  Rays — River  Tirolas — Mountain  Streams — Pictu- 
resque Embarcadero — A  Sweet  Encampment — An  Accident — Laid  up — 
Send  off  the  Poyer  Boy  for  Help — Speed)'  Recovery — Monkeys — An  En- 
counter with  the  Pigs — To  Eat  or  to  be  Eaten,  a  wide  Difference — Return 
of  the  Poyer — Abandonment  of  the  Canoe — "  El  More"  again — Ascent  of 
the  Mountains — Another  Temporal — Reflections  on  Fire       ....  272 

CHxiPTER   XV. 

The  Crest  of  the  Mountains — A  Desert  Waste— Descent — Rio  Guallambre — 
Gold  Washing — The  Poyer  Village — Habits  of  the  Poyers — Plantations — 
Poisoning  Fish — Primitive  Arts — Indian  Naiads — Patriarchal  Government 
—  Departure — Rio  Amacwass  — Rio  Patuca — "Gateway  of  Hell" — Ap- 
proach to  the  Sea — Brus  Lagoon 290 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

Arrival  at  Brus — A  Festival — Hospitality — Loss  of  the  Poyer  Boy — Civiliza- 
tion of  the  Caribs — Cocoa-Groves — Sanit.ary  Precautions — Wild-Fig  or 
Banyan-Tree — Habits  of  the  Caribs — Industry — The  Mahogany-Cutters — 
Celebration  of  their  Return — A  Carib  Dandy — Polygamy — Singular  Prac- 
tices— A  Carib  Crew— Departure — The-JBajLOfJSondujas — The  Bottom  of 
the  Sea — Island  of  Guanaja — Night — Sombre  Soliloquies — Antonio's  Secret 
— The  Rousing  of  the  Indians— Deep-laid  Schemes  of  Revenge— The  Voice 
of  the  Tiger  in  the  Mountains 812 


APPE5TDIX. 

A— HiSTOEiCAL  Sketch 835 

B — Notes  and  Extracts 354 

0 — Mosquito  Vocabttt.arv 868 


ILLUSTEATIONS. 

NTTMBEE  PAGE 

1.  ILLUSTEATIVE  TITLE 1 

2.  MAP  OF  MOSQUITO  SHORE 12 

a  THE  ARTIST • 18 

4  MY  LANDLADY 22 

5.  ANTONIO  CHUL 2S 

6.  THE  SHIPWRECK 35 

7.  THE  ESCAPE 86 

8.  "SHELLING"  TURTLES 46 

9.  A  SAIL!  A  SAILl 48 

10.  "EL  RONCADOR" 52 

11.  APPROACH  TO  BLUEFIELDS 56 

12.  GOING  TO  THE  FUNERAL 6T 

13.  A  MOSQUITO  BURIAL TO 

14.  AFLOAT  IN  THE  LAGOON T6 

15.  CLIMBING  AFTER  COCOAS. 84 

16.  A  MANGROVE  SWAMP 85 

17.  THE  ROSEATE  SPOONBILL 89 

18.  CAPTAIN  DRUMMER 98 

19.  TURTLE    CAYS 105 

20.  SPEARING   TURTLE 109 

21.  TEMPORAL    CAMP 117 

22.  A  FRESHET   IN  THE  RIVER 122 

23.  HUNTING  THE  MANITUS 183 

24.  HARPOONS    AND  LANCES 136 

25.  TROPICAL   VERDURE 138 

26.  MARINE  MOLLUSCA 143 

27.  ON  THE  MOONLIT  SEA 154 

23.  VILLACJE  OF  QUAMWATLA 149 

29.  FIGHT  NEAR   QUAMWATLA 158 

50.  TAPIR  CAMP 162 

51.  PALMETTO  ROYAL 166 

82.  THE  DEATH  OP  THE  TAPIR 172 

83.  BIRDS  OF  THE  LAGOONS 179 

84.  LIFE  AMONG  THE  LAGOONS 182 

35.  CHASE  ON  TONGLA  LAGOON 189 

86.  FEVER  CAMP 200 

37.  TOWKAS   INDIANS 202 

3S.  THE  END  OF  IT  ! 210 

89.  TOWN  OF  SANDY  BAY 215 

40.  A  GOLDEN   IDOL 217 

41.  GENERAL  PETER  SLAM 221 

42.  SUKIA  OF  SANDY  BAY 228 

43.  CAPE  GRACIAS  A  DIOS 234 

44.  HUNTING  DEER 237 

45.  RIVER  BOCA Y 251 

46.  THE  MOTHER   OF  THE  TIGERS 256 

47.  SANCTtTARY  OF  THE  SUKIA 259 

48.  SCENERY  ON  THE  RIVER  WANKS 272 

49.  EMBARCADERO  ON  THE  TIROLAS 276 

50.  THE  W AREE 283 

51.  THE  MOUNTAIN  CREST 290 

52.  A  POYER  VILLAGE 295 

53.  "THE  GATEWAY  OF  HELL" 809 

54.  VIEW  AT  BRUS 812 

55.  APPROACH  TO   GUANAJA 825 

56.  REVEALING  THE  SECRET 882 


THE 


MOSQUITO   SHORE 


MONTH  in  Jamaica  is  enough 
for  any  sinner's  punisliment, 
let  alone  that  of  a  tolerably 
good  Christian,  At  any  rate, 
a  week  had  given  me  a  surfeit  of  Kingston,  with 
its  sinister,  tropical  Jews,  and  variegated  inhabit- 
ants, one-half  black,  one-third  brown,  and  the 
balance  as  fair  as  could  be  expected,  considering 
the  abominable,  unintelligible  Congo-English  which 
they  spoke.      Besides,  the  cholera  which  seems  io 


14  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

be  domesticated  in  Kingston,  and  to  have  be- 
come one  of  its  local  institutions,  bad  begun  to 
spread  from  the  stews,  and  to  invade  the  more 
civilized  parts  of  the  town.  All  the  inhabitants, 
therefore,  whom  the  emancipation  had  left  rich 
enough  to  do  so,  were  flying  to  the  mountains, 
with  the  pestilence  following,  Hke  a  sleuth-honjid, 
at  their  heels.  Kingston  was  palpably  no  place 
for  a  stranger,  and  that  stranger  a  poor-devil  artist. 

The  cholera  had  cheated  me  of  a  customer.  I 
was  moody,  and  therefore  swung  myself  in  a 
hammock,  lit  a  cigar,  and  held  a  grand  inquisition 
on  myself,  as  the  poets  are  wont  to  do  on  their 
souls.  It  ran  after  this  wise,  with  a  very  little  noise 
but  much  smoke  : — 

"Life  is  pleasant  at  twenty-six.  Do  you  like 
Hfe  ?" 

Rather. 

"  Then  you  can't  like  the  cholera  ?" 

No  ! — ^with  a  hurried  pull  at  the  cigar. 

"  But  you  '11  have  it  here  \" 

Then  1 11  be  off! 

"  Where  ?" 

Any  where  ! 

"  Good,  but  the  exchequer,  my  boy,  how  about 
that  ?     You  can't  get  away  without  money." 

There  Avas  a  long  pause,  a  great  cloud  of  smoke, 
and  much  swinging  in  the  hammock,  and  a  final 
echo — 

Money  !     Yes,  I  must  have  money  ! 

So  I  got  up,  spasmodically  opened  my  portman- 


THE     artist's    soliloquy.  15 

teau,  dived  deep  amongst  collars,  pencils  and  foul 
linen,  took  out  my  purse,  turned  its  contents  on  tlie 
table,  and  began  to  count. 

Forty-tkree  and  a  half,  forty-four,  forty-five,  and 
this  handful  of  small  silver  and  copper.  Call  it 
fifty  in  all. 

"  Only  fifty  dollars  \"  ejaculated  my  mental  in- 
terrogator. 

Only  fifty  !  responded  I. 

"  'T  won't  do  !" 

I  lit  another  cigar.  It  was  clear  enough,  it 
would  n't  do  ;  and  I  got  into  the  hammock  again. 
Commend  me  to  a  hammock,  (a  pita  hammock, 
none  of  your  canvas  abominations,)  and  a  cigar,  as 
valuable  aids  to  meditation  and  self-communion  of 
all  kinds.  There  was  a  long  silence,  but  the  in- 
quisition went  on,  until  the  cigar  was  finished. 
Finally  "  I  '11  do  it  !"  I  exclaimed,  in  the  voice  of  a 
man  determined  on  some  great  deed,  not  agree- 
able but  necessary,  and  I  tossed  the  cigar  stump 
out  of  the  window.  But  what  I  determined  to  do, 
may  seem  no  great  thing  after  all  ;  it  was  only  to 
paint  the  portrait  of  my  landlady. 

"  Yes,  I  '11  paint  the  old  wench  !" 


Now,  I  am  an  artist,  not  an  author,  and  have 
got  the  cart  before  the  horse,  inasmuch  as  my 
narrative  does  not  preserve  the  "  harmonies,"  as 
every  well-considered  composition  should  do.  It 
has  just  occurred   to  me  that  I  should  first  have 


16  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

told  wlio  I  am,  and  how  I  came  to  be  in  Jamaica, 
and  especially  in  that  filthy  place,  Kingston.  It 
is  n't  a  long  story,  and  if  it  is  not  too  late,  I  will 
tell  it  now. 

As  all  the  world  knows,  there  are  people  who  sell 
rancid  whale  oil,  and  deal  in  soap,  and  affect  a 
great  contempt  for  artists.  They  look  down  grand- 
ly on  the  quiet,  pale  men  who  paint  their  broad  red 
faces  on  canvas,  and  seem  to  think  that  the  few 
greasy  dollars  which  they  grudgingly  -paj  for  their 
flaming  immortality,  should  be  received  with  meek 
confusion  and  blushing  thanks,  as  a  rare  exhibition 
of  condescension  and  patronage.  I  never  liked  such 
patronage,  and  therefore  would  paint  no  red  faces. 
But  there  is  a  great  difference  between  red,  bulbous 
faces,  and  rosy  faces.     There  was  that  sweet  girl  at 

the  boarding-school  in  L Place,  the  Baltimore 

girl,  with  the  dark  eyes  and  tresses  of  the  South, 
and  the  fair  cheek  and  elastic  step  of  the  North  ! 
Of  course,  I  painted  her  portrait,  a  dozen  times  at 
least,  I  should  say.  I  could  paint  it  now  ;  and  I 
fear  it  is  more  than  painted  on  my  heart,  or  it 
would  n't  rise  smiling  here,  to  distract  my  thoughts, 
make  me  sigh,  and  stop  my  story. 

An  artist  who  would  n't  paint  portraits  and  had 
a  soul  above  patronage — what  was  there  for  him  to 
do  in  New  York  ?  Two  compositions  a  year  in  the 
Art  Union,  got  in  through  Mr.  Sly,  the  manager, 
and  a  friend  of  mine,  were  not  an  adequate  support 
for  the  most  moderate  man.  I  '11  j)aint  grand  his- 
torical paintings,  thought  I  one  day,  and  straight- 


THE     ARTIST     TEMPTED,  17 

way  purchased  a  large  canvas.  I  had  selected  my 
subject,  Balboa,  the  discoverer  of  the  Pacific,  bear- 
ing aloft  the  flag  of  Spain,  rushing  breast-deep  in 
its  waves,  and  claiming  its  boundless  shores  and 
numberless  islands  for  the  crown  of  Castile  and 
Leon.  I  had  begun  to  sketch  in  the  plumed  In- 
dians, gazing  in  mute  surprise  upon  this  startling 
scene,  when  it  occurred  to  me — for  I  have  jjatches 
of  common  sense  scattered  amongst  the  flowery 
fields  of  my  fancy — to  count  over  the  amount  of 
my  patrimonial  portion.  Grand  historical  paintings 
require  years  of  study  and  labor,  and  I  found  I  had 
but  two  hundred  dollars,  owed  for  a  month's  lodg- 
ing, and  had  an  unsettled  tailor's  account.  It  was 
clear  that  historical  painting  was  a  luxury,  for  the 
present   at   least,  beyond   my  reach.     It  was  then 

some  evil  spirit,  (I  strongly  suspect  it  was  the ,) 

taking  the  cue  doubtless  from  my  projected  picture, 
suggested  : — • 

"  Try  landscape,  my  boy  ;  you  have  a  rare  hand 
for  landscapes — good  flaming  landscapes,  full  of 
yellow  and  vermillion,  you  know  !" 

Although  there  was  no  one  in  the  room,  I  can 
swear  to  a  distinct  slap  on  the  back,  after  the  em- 
phatic "  you  know"  of  the  tempter.  It  was  a  true 
diabolical  suggestion,  the  yellow  and  vermillion, 
but  not  so  sulphurous  as  what  followed  : — 

"  Go  to  the  tropics  boy,  the  glorious  tropics, 
where  the  sun  is  supreme,  and  never  shares  his  do- 
minion with  blue-nosed,  leaden-colored,  rheumy- 
eyed  frost-gods  ;  go  there,  and  catch  the  matchless 


18  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

tints  of  the  skies,  the  living  emerald  of  the  forests, 
and  the  light-giving  azure  of  the  waters  ;  go  where 
the  birds  are  rainhow-hued,  and  the  very  fish  are 
golden  ;  where — " 

But  I  had  heard  enough  ;  I  was  blinded  by  the 
dazzling  panorama  wliich  Fancy  swept  past  my 
vision,  and  cried,  with  enthusiastic  energy, 
"  Hold  ;  I  '11  go  to  the  glorious  tropics  !" 
And  I  went — more 's  the  pity — ^in  a  little  dirty 
schooner,  full  of  pork  and  flour  ;  and  that  is  the 
way  I  came  to  be  in  Jamaica,  dear  reader,  if  you 
want  to  know.  I  had  been  there  a  month  or  more, 
and  had  wandered  all  over  the  really  magnificent 
interior,  and  filled  my  portfolio  with  sketches.  But 
that  did  not  satisfy  me  ;  there  were  other  tropical 
lands,  where  Nature  had  grander  aspects,  where 
there  were  broad  lakes  and  high  and  snow-crowned 
volcanoes,  which  waved  their  plumes  of  smoke  in 
mid-heaven,  defiantly,  in  the  very  face  of  the  sun  ; 
lands  through  whose  ever-leaved  forests  Cortez, 
Balboa,  and  Alvarado,  and  Cordova  had  led  their 
mailed  followers,  and  in  whose  dej^ths  frowned  the 
strange  gods  of  aboriginal  superstition,  beside  the 
deserted  altars  and  unmarked  graves  of  a  departed 
and  mysterious  people.  Jamaica  was  beautiful  cer- 
tainly, but  I  longed  for  what  the  transcendentalists 
call  the  sublimely-beautiful,  or,  in  plain  English, 
the  combined  sublime  and  beautiful — for,  in  short, 
an  equatorial  Switzerland.  And,  although  Jamaica 
was  fine  in  scenery,  its  dilapidated  plantations,  and 
filthy,  lazy  negroes,  already  more  than  half  relapsed 


ART     IN     KINGSTON.  19 

into  native  and  congenial  barbarism,  were  repug- 
nant to  my  Ameriean  notions  and  tastes.  They 
grinned  around  me,  those  negroes,  when  I  ate,  and 
scratched  their  heads  over  my  paper  when  I  drew. 
They  followed  me  every  where,  like  black  jackals, 
and  jabbered  their  incomprehensive  lingo  in  my 
ears  until  they  deafened  me.  And  then  their  odor 
under  tropical  heats  !  Faugh  !  "  'Twas  rank,  and 
smelt  to  heaven  !" 

I  had,  therefore,  come  down  from  the  interior  to 
set  up  my  easel  in  Kingston,  paint  a  few  views,  and 
thereby  raise  the  wind  for  a  trip  to  the  mainland. 
Of  course,.  I  did  not  fly  from  painting  red-faced 
portraits  in  the  United  States,  to  paint  ebony  ones 
in  Jamaica.  My  scruples,  however,  did  not  apply 
to  customers.  There  was  a  "  hroivn  man"  which  is 
genteel  Jamaican  for  mulatto,  who  was  an  Assem- 
bly-man, or  something  of  the  kind,  and  wanted  a 
view  of  the  edifice  at  Spanish-town,  wherein  he 
legislated  for  the  "  emancipated  island."  I  had 
agreed  to  paint  it  for  the  liberal  compensation  of 
twenty  pounds.  But  one  hot,  murky  morning,  my 
brown  lawgiver  took  the  cholera,  and  before  noon 
was  not  only  dead,  but  buried — and  my  picture 
only  half-finished  !  Mem.  As  jjeople  have  a  prac- 
tice of  dying,  always  get  your  pay  beforehand. 

Voltaire,  I  believe,  has  said,  that  if  a  toad  were 
asked  his  ideal  of  beauty,  he  would,  most  likely, 
describe  himself,  and  dwell  complacently  on  a  cold, 
clammy,  yellow  belly,  a  brown,  warty,  corrugated 
back,  and  become  ecstatic  on  the  subject  of  goggle 


20  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

eyes.  And,  I  verily  believe,  that  if  my  landlady 
had  been  asked  the  same  question,  she  would  have 
coquettishly  patted  up  her  woolly  curls  over  each 
oleaginous  cheek,  and  glanced  toward  the  miiTor,  by 
way  of  reply.  Black,  glossy  black,  and/a^,  marvel- 
ously  fat,  yet  she  was  possessed,  even  she,  of  her 
full  share  of  feminine  vanity.  There  was  no  mis- 
taking, from  the  first  day  of  my  arrival,  that  her 
head  was  running  on  a  portrait  of  herself.  She  was 
fond  of  money  and  penurious,  and  careful,  there- 
fore, not  to  venture  upon  a  proposition  until  she 
had  got  some  kind  of  a  clew  as  to  what  her  immor- 
tahty  would  be  likely  to  cost.  I  had,  however, 
diplomatically  evaded  all  of  her  approaches,  up  to 
the  unfortunate  day  when  my  Assembly-man  died. 
She  brought  me  the  news  herself,  and  saw  that  it 
annoyed  rather  than  shocked  me,  and  that  I  stop- 
ped painting  with  the  air  of  a  man  abandoning  a 
bad  job.  She  evidently  thought  the  time  favorable 
for  a  coup  de  main  ;  there  was  a  gleam  of  cunning 
in  her  little,  round,  half-buried  eyes,  and  the  very 
ebony  of  her  cheek  lightened  palpably,  as  she  said  : 

"  So  your  picture  will  be  no  good  for  nothing  ?" 

No  ! 

"  You  have  not  got  the ?" 

And  she  significantly  rubbed  the  fore-finger  of 
one  hand  in  the  palm  of  the  other. 

No  ! 

There  was  a  pause,  and  then  she  resumed  : 

"  I  want  a  picture  !" 

Eh.? 


A     PORTRAIT. 


21 


"  A  picture,  you  know  !" 

And  now  she  complacently  stroked  down  her  broad 
face,  and  exhibited  a  wide,  vermilion  chasm,  with 
a  formidable  phalanx  of  ivories,  by  way  of  a  sug- 
gestive smile. 

No,  I  never  paint  portraits  ! 

"  Not  for  ten  pounds  ?" 

No  ;  nor  for  a  hundred, — go  ! 

And  my  landlady  rolled  herself  out  of  the  room 
with  a  motion  which,  had  she  weighed  less  than 
two  hundred,  might  have  passed  for  a  toss. 

It  was  on  the  evening  of  this  day,  and  after  this 
conversation,  one  half  of  the  Assembly-house  at 
Spanish-town  staring  redly  from  the  canvas  in  the 
corner,  that  I  lay  in  my  hammock  and  soliloquized 
as  aforesaid.  It  was  thus  and  then,  that  I  resolved 
to  paint  my  landlady. 


And  having  now,  by  means  of  this  long  paren- 
thesis, restored  the  harmonies  of  my  story,  and  got 
my  horse  and  cart  in  correct  relative  positions,  I  am 
ready  to  go  ahead. 

I  not  only  resolved  to  paint  my  landlady,  but  I 
did  it,  right  over  the  half-finished  Assembly-house. 
It  was  the  fiirst,  and,  by  the  blessing  of  Heaven,  so 
long  as  there  are  good  potatoes  to  be  dug  at  the 
rate  of  six  cents  the  bushel,  it  shall  be  my  last  por- 
trait. I  can  not  help  laughing,  even  now,  at  that 
fat,  glistening  face,  looking  for  all  the  world  as  if 
it   had   been   newly   varnished,    surmounted   by    a 


22 


THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE, 


gaudy  red  scarf,  wound  round  the  head  in  the  form 
of  a  peaked  turban  ;  and  two  fat  arms,  rolling 
down  like  elephants'  trunks  against  a  white  robe 
for  a  background,  which  concealed  a  bust  that 
passeth  description.  That  portrait — "  long  may  it 
wave  !"  as  the  man  said,  at  the  Kossuth  dinner, 
when  he  toasted  "  The  day  we  celebrate  !" 


MY     LANDLADY. 


My  landlady  was  satisfied,  and  generous  withal, 
for  she  not  only  paid  me  the  ten  pounds,  and  gave 
me  my  two  weeks  board  and  lodging  in  the  bargain, 
but  introduced  me  to  a  colored  gentleman,  a  friend 
of  hers,  who  sailed  a  little  schooner  twice  a  year  to 
the  Mosquito  Shore,  on  the  coast  of  Central  Amer- 
ica, where  he  traded  off  refuse  rum  and  gaudy  cot- 
tons for  turtle-shells  and  sarsaparilla.  There  was  a 
steamer  from  Kingston,  once  a  month,  to  Cartha- 
gena,    Chagres,    San    Juan,    Belize,    and    "  along 


THE     "PKINCE     ALBERT."  23 

shore  ;"  but,  for  obvious  reasons,  I  could  not  go 
in  a  steamer.  So  I  struck  up  a  bargain  witli  the 
fragrant  skipper,  by  the  terms  of  which  he  bound 
himsehf  to  land  me,  bag  and  baggage,  at  Bluefields, 
the  seat  of  Mosquito  royalty,  for  the  sum  of  three 
pounds,  "  currency." 

Why  Captain  Ponto  (for  so  I  shall  call  my  land- 
lady's friend,  the  colored  skipper)  named  his  little 
schooner  the  "  Prince  Albert,"  I  can  not  imagine, 
unless  he  thought  thereby  to  do  honor  to  the  Queen- 
Consort  ;  for  the  aforesaid  schooner  had  evidently 
got  old,  and  been  condemned,  long  before  that  lucky 
Dutchman  woke  the  echoes  of  Gotha  vnth  his  baby 
cries.  The  "  Prince  Albert"  was  of  about  seventy 
tons  burden,  built  something  on  the  model  of  the 
"Jung-frau,"  the  first  vessel  of  the  Netherlands 
that  rolled  itself  into  New  York  bay,  like  some  un- 
wieldy porpoise,  after  a  rapid  passage  of  about  six 
months  from  the  Hague.  The  wise  men  of  the 
Historical  Society  have  satisfactorily  shown,  after 
long  and  diligent  research,  that  the  "Jung-frau" 
measured  sixty  feet  keel,  sixty  feet  beam,  and 
sixty  feet  hold,  and  was  modeled  after  one  of 
Rubens'  Venuses.  The  dimensions  of  the  "  Prince 
Albert"  were  every  way  the  same,  only  twenty  feet 
less.  The  sails  were  patched  and  the  cordage 
spliced,  and  she  did  not  leak  so  badly  as  to  require 
more  than  six  hours'  steady  pumping  out  of  the 
twenty-four.  The  crew  was  composed  of  Captain 
Ponto,  Thomas,  his  mate,  one  seaman,  and  an  In- 


24  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

dian  boy  from  Yucatan,  whose  business  it  was  to 
cook  and  do  tbe  pumping.  As  may  be  supposed, 
the  Indian  boy  did  not  rust  for  want  of  occupa- 
tion. 

It  was  a  clear  morning,  toward  tbe  close  of  De- 
cember, that  Captain  Ponto's  wife,  a  white  woman, 
with  a  hopeful  family  of  six  children,  the  three  eld- 
est with  shirts,  and  the  three  youngest  without, 
came  down  to  the  schooner  to  see  us  off.    I  watched 
the  parting  over  the  after-bulwarks,  and  observed 
the  tears  roll  down  Mrs.  Ponto's  cheeks  as  she  bade 
her  sable  spouse  good-by.     I  wondered  if  she  really 
could  have  any  attachment  for  her  husband,  and  if 
custom  and  association  had  utterly  worn  away  the 
natural  and  instinctive  repugnance  which  exists  be- 
tween the  superior  and  inferior  races  of  mankind  ? 
I  thought  of  the  condition  of  Jamaica  itself,  and 
mentally  inquired  if  it  were  not  due  to  a  grand, 
practical  misconception  of  the  laws  of  Nature,  and 
the  inevitable  result  of  their  reversal  "?     It  can  not 
be  denied  that  where  the  superior  and  inferior  races 
are  brought  in  contact,  and  amalgamate,  there  we 
uniformly  find  a  hybrid  stock  springing  up,  with 
most,  if  not  all  of  the  vices,  and  few,  if  any  of  the 
vii'tues  of  the  originals.    And  it  will  hardly  be  ques- 
tioned, by  those  experimentally  acquainted  with  the 
subject,  that  the  manifest  lack  of  public  morahty  and 
private  virtue,  in  the  Spanish- American  States,  has 
followed  from  the  fatal  facility  with  which  the  Span- 
ish colonists  have  intermixed  with  the  negroes  and 
Indians.     The  rigid  and  inexorable  exclusion,  in  re^ 


THEOPENSEA.  25 

spect  to  the  inferior  races,  of  the  dominant  blood 
of  North  America,  flowing  through  different  chan- 
nels perhaps,  yet  from  the  same  great  Teutonic 
source,  is  one  grand  secret  of  its  vitality,  and  the 
best  safeguard  of  its  permanent  ascendency, 

Mrs.  Ponto  wept  ;  and  as  we  slowly  worked  our 
way  outside  of  Port  Royal,  I  could  see  her  waving 
her  apron,  for  she  was  innocent  of  a  more  classical 
signal,  in  fond  adieus.  We  finally  got  out  from 
under  the  lee  of  the  land,  and  caught  in  our  sails 
the  full  trade-wind,  blowing  steadily  in  the  de- 
sired direction.  I  sat  long  on  deck,  watching  the 
receding  island  sinking  slowly  in  the  bright  sea, 
until  Captain  Ponto  signified  to  me,  in  the  patois 
of  Jamaica,  which  the  deluded  people  flatter  them- 
selves is  English,  that  dinner  was  ready,  and  led 
the  way  into  what  he  called  the  cabin.  This  cabin 
was  a  little  den,  seven  feet  by  nine  at  the  utmost, 
low,  dark  and  dirty,  with  no  light  or  air  except 
what  entered  through  the  narrow  hatchway,  and, 
consequently,  hot  as  an  oven.  Two  lockers,  one  on 
each  side,  answered  for  seats  by  day,  and,  covered 
with  suspicious  mattresses,  for  beds  by  night.  The 
cabin  was  sacred  to  Captain  Ponto  and  myself,  the 
mate  having  been  displaced  to  make  room  for  the 
gentleman  who  had  paid  three  pounds  for  his  pas- 
sage !  I  question  if  the  "  Prince  Albert "  had  ever 
before  been  honored  with  a  passenger  ;  certainly  not 
since  she  had  come  into  the  hands  of  Captain  Ponto, 
who  therefore  put  his  best  foot  forward,  with  a  full 
consciousness  of  the   importance  of  the   incident. 

2 


2&  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

Ponto  had  been  a  slave  once,  and  was  consequently 
imperious  and  tyrannical  now,  toward  all  peojDle  in 
a  subordinate  relation  to  bimself.  Yet,  as  lie  bad 
evidently  been  owned  by  a  man  of  consequence,  be 
bad  not  entirely  lost  bis  early  deference  for  tbe 
wbite  man,  and  sometimes  forgot  Ponto  tbe  caj)- 
tain  in  Ponto  tbe  cbattel.  It  was  in  tbe  latter 
character  only,  tbat  be  was  perfectly  natural ; 
and,  altbougb  I  derived  no  bttle  amusement  from 
bis  attempts  to  enact  a  loftier  part,  I  sball  not 
trouble  tbe  reader  witb  an  episode  on  Captain 
Ponto.  He  was  a  very  wortby  darkey,  witb  a 
strong  aversion  to  water,  botb  exteriorly  and  in- 
ternally. Tbe  mate,  and  tbe  man  wbo  constituted 
tbe  crew,  were  ordinary  negroes  of  no  possible  ac- 
count. 

But  Antonio,  tbe  Indian  boy,  wbo  cooked  and 
pumped,  and  tben  pumped  and  cooked — I  fear  be 
never  slept,  for  wben  tbere  was  not  a  "  sizzbng"  in 
tbe  little  black  caboose,  tbere  was  sm-e  to  be  a 
screecbing  of  tbe  rickety  j)ump — Antonio  attracted 
my  interest  from  tbe  first ;  and  it  was  increased 
wben  I  found  tbat  be  spoke  a  little  Englisb,  was 
perfect  in  Spanisb,  and  witbal  could  read  in  botb 
languages.  Tbere  was  something  mysterious  in 
finding  bim  among  tbese  uncoutb  negroes,  witb 
bis  relatively  fair  skin,  intelligent  eyes,  and  long, 
well-ordered,  black  bair.  He  was  like  a  litbe 
pantber  among  lumbering  bears  ;  and  be  did 
bis  work  in  a  way  wbicb  accorded  witb  bis  In- 
dian character,  without  murmur,  and  with  a  kind 


ANTONIO,    THE    INDIAN    BOY.  27 

of  silent  doggedness,  that  implied  but  little  re- 
spect for  his  present  masters.  He  seldom  replied 
to  their  orders  in  words,  and  then  only  in  mono- 
syllables. I  asked  Captain  Ponto  about  him,  but 
he  knew  nothing,  except  that  he  was  from  Yucatan, 
and  had  presented  himself  on  board  only  the  day 
previously,  and  offered  to  work  his  passage  to  the 
main  land.  And  Captain  Ponto  indistinctly  inti- 
mated that  he  had  taken  the  boy  solely  on  my  ac- 
count, which,  of  course,  led  to  the  inference  on  my 
part,  that  the  captain  ordinarily  did  his  own  cook- 
ing. He  also  ventured  a  patronizing  remark  about 
the  Indians  generally,  to  the  effect  that  they  made 
very  good  servants,  "  if  they  were  kept  under  ;" 
which,  coming  from  an  ex-slave,  I  thought  rather 
good. 

All  this  only  served  to  interest  me  the  more  in 
Antonio  ;  and,  although  I  succeeded  in  engaging 
him  in  ordinary  conversation,  yet  I  utterly  failed  in 
drawing  him  out,  as  the  saying  is,  in  respect  to  his 
past  history,  or  future  purposes.  Whenever  I  ap- 
proached these  subjects  he  became  silent  and  im- 
passible, and  his  eyes  assumed  an  expression  of  cold 
inquiry,  not  unmingled  with  latent  suspicion,  wliich 
half  inclined  me  to  believe  that  he  was  a  fugitive 
from  justice.  Yet  he  did  not  look  the  felon  or 
knave  ;  and  when  the  personal  inquiries  dropped, 
his  face  resumed  its  usual  pleasant  although  sad 
expression,  and  I  became  ashamed  that  I  had  sus- 
pected him.  There  was  certainly  something  sin- 
gular about  Antonio  ;  but,  as  I  could  imagine  no 


28 


THE    MOSQUITO    SHOEE, 


very  profound  mystery  attaching  to  a  cook,  on 
board  of  the  "  Prince  Albert,"  after  the  first  day,  I 
made  no  attempts  to  penetrate  his  secrets,  but 
sought  rather  to  attach  him  to  me,  as  a  prospect- 
ively useful  companion  in  the  country  to  which  I 
was  bound.  So  I  relieved  him  occasionally  at  the 
pump,    although    he    protested    against    it ;    and 


A  X  T  O  .\  1  O  . 


finally,  to  the  horror  of  Captain  Ponto,  and  the 
palpable  high  disdain  of  the  mate,  I  became  so  in- 
timate with  him  as  to  show  him  my  portfolio  of 
drawings.  His  admiration,  I  found  to  my  surprise, 
was  always  judiciously  bestowed,  and  his  apprecia- 
tion of  outline  and  coloring  showed  that  he  had 
the  spirit  of  an  artist.     Several  times,  in  glancing 


GATHERING    OF    THE    STORM.  29 

over  the  drawings,  he  stopped  short,  looked  up,  his 
face  full  of  intelHgence,  as  if  about  to  speak,  and  I 
paused  to  listen.  Each  time,  however,  the  smile 
vanished,  the  flexible  muscles  ceased  their  play  and 
became  rigid,  and  a  cold,  filmy  mist  settled  over  the 
clear  eyes  which  had  looked  into  mine.  Whatever 
was  Antonio's  secret,  great  or  small,  it  was  evi- 
dently one  that  he  half-wished,  half-feared  to  re- 
veal. I  was  puzzled  to  think  that  there  could 
exist  any  relation  between  it  and  my  j)aintings  ; 
but  Antonio  was  only  a  cook,  and  so  I  dismissed  all 
reflection  on  the  subject. 

On  our  third  day  out,  the  weather,  which  up  to 
that  time  had  been  clear  and  beautiful,  began  to 
change,  and  night  settled  black  and  threatening 
around  us.  The  wind  had  increased,  but  it  was 
loaded  with  sultry  vajDors — the  hot  breath  of  the 
storm  which  was  pressing  on  our  track.  Captain 
Ponto  was  not  a  scientific  sailor,  and  kej)t  no  other 
than  what  is  called  "dead  reckoning."  He  had 
made  the  voyage  very  often,  and  was  confidant  of 
his  course.  Upon  that  point,  therefore,  I  gave 
myself  no  uneasiness  ;  not  so  much  from  faith  in 
Captain  Ponto,  as  because  there  was  nothing  in  the 
world  to  be  done,  except  to  follow  his  opinion. 
Nevertheless  the  captain  was  serious,  and  consulted 
an  antediluvian  chart  which  he  kept  in  liis  cabin. 
It  was  a  Rembrandtish  picture,  that  negro  tracing 
his  forefinger  slowly  over  the  chart,  by  the  light  of 
a  candle,  which  only  half  revealed  the  little  cabin, 
while  it  brought  out  his  grizzly  head  and  anxious 


30  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

face  in  strong  relief  against  the  darkness.  What 
Captain  Ponto  learned  from  all  this  study  is  more 
than  I  can  tell ;  hut  when  he  came  on  deck,  he 
ordered  a  reef  to  he  made  in  the  sails,  and  a 
variation  of  several  points  in  our  course,  for  the 
wind  not  only  freshened,  hut  veered  to  the  north- 
east. The  hot  hlasts  or  puffs  of  air  hecame  more 
and  more  frequent,  and  occasional  sheets  of  light- 
ning gleamed  along  the  horizon.  The  sea,  too, 
was  full  of  phosphorescent  light ;  fiery  monsters 
seemed  to  leap  around  us  and  wreath  and  twine 
their  livid  volumes  in  our  wake.  I  could  hear  the 
hiss  of  their  forked  tongues  where  the  waters  closed 
under  our  stern.  I  stood,  leaning  over  the  bul- 
warks, gazing  on  the  gleaming  waves,  and  thinking 
of  home — ^for  the  voyager  on  the  great  deep  always 
thinks  of  home,  when  darkness  envelops  him,  and 
the  storm  threatens — when  Antonio  silently  ap- 
proached, so  silently  that  I  did  not  hear  him, 
and  took  his  place  at  my  side.  I  was  somewhat 
startled,  therefore,  when,  changing  my  position  a 
little,  I  saw,  hy  the  dim,  reflected  light  of  the  sea, 
his  eyes  fixed  earnestly  on  mine.  "  Ah,  Antonio,"  I 
said,  "  is  that  you  ?"  and  I  placed  my  hand  famil- 
iarly on  his  shoulder.  He  shrank  beneath  it,  as  if  it 
had  been  fire.  "  What 's  the  matter  ?"  I  exclaimed, 
reproachfully  ;  "  have  I  hurt  you  ?" 

"  Pardon  me  \"  he  ejaculated,  rather  than  spoke, 
in  a  voice  deep  and  tremulous  ;  "I  know  now  that 
it  is  not  you  who  will  die  to-night  !" 

"  What  do  vou  mean  ?  You  are  not  afraid,  Anto- 


THE     LORD     WHO     NEVER     LIES.  31 

nio  ?  Who  thinks  of  dying  ?"  I  replied,  in  a  light 
tone. 

"  No  !  it  is  not  myself.  I  was  afraid  it  might  be 
you  ;  for,  sir,"  and  he  laid  a  hand  cold  and  clammy 
as  that  of  a  corpse  on  mine  ;  "  for,  sir,  there  is 
death  on  board  this  vessel !" 

This  was  said  in  a  voice  so  awed  and  earnest  that 
I  was  impressed  deeply,  in  spite  of  myself,  and  for 
some  moments  made  no  reply.  "  You  talk  wildly, 
Antonio,"  I  finally  said  ;  "we  are  going  on  bravely, 
and  shall  all  be  in  Bluefields  together  in  a  day  or 
two." 

"  All  of  us,  never,"  he  replied,  "  never  !  The  Lord, 
who  never  lies,  has  told  me  so  !"  and,  pressing  near 
me,  he  drew  from  his  bosom  something  resembling 
a  small,  round  plate  of  crystal,  except  that  it 
seemed  to  be  slightly  luminous,  and  veined  or 
clouded  with  green.  "  See,  see  !"  he  exclaimed, 
rapidly,  and  held  the  object  close  to  my  eyes.  I 
instinctively  obeyed,  and  gazed  intently  upon  it. 
As  I  gazed,  the  clouds  of  green  seemed  to  concen- 
trate and  assume  a  regular  form,  as  the  moisture  of 
one's  breath  passes  away  from  a  muTor,  until  I 
distinctly  saw,  in  the  center,  the  miniature  of  a 
human  head,  of  composed  and  dignified  aspect,  but 
the  eyes  were  closed,  and  all  the  lineaments  had  the 
rigidity  of  death. 

"  Do  you  see  ?" 

"  I  do  !" 

"  It  is  Kucimen,  the  Lord  who  never  lies  !"  and 
Antonio  thrust  his  talisman  in  his  bosom  again, 


32  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE, 

and  slowly  moved  away.  There  was  no  mistake  in 
what  I  had  seen,  and  although  I  am  not  supersti- 
tious, yet  the  feeling  that  some  catastrophe  was 
impending  gathered  at  my  heart.  It  was  in  vain 
that  I  tried  to  smile  at  the  Indian  trick  ;  the  earnest 
voice  of  the  Indian  boy  still  sounded  in  my  ears, 
"  All  of  us,  never  !"  AVhat  reason  should  he  have 
for  attempting  to  practice  his  Indian  diablerie 
on  any  one,  least  of  all  on  me  ?  I  rejected  the 
thought,  and  endeavored  to  banish  the  subject  from 
my  mind. 

Meanwhile  the  wind  had  gathered  strength,  and 
Captain  Ponto  had  taken  in  sail,  so  that  we  had  no 
more  standing  than  was  necessary  to  keep  the  vessel 
steady  before  the  wind.  The  waves  now  began  to 
rise,  the  gloom  deejjened,  the  hot  puffs  of  air 
became  more  and  more  frequent,  and  the  broad 
lightning-sheets  rose  from  the  horizon  to  the  very 
zenith.  The  thunder,  too,  came  rolling  on,  every 
peal  more  distinctly,  and  occasional  heavy  drops  of 
rain  fell  with  an  ominous  sound  on  the  deck.  The 
storm  was  evidently  close  at  hand  ;  and  I  left  the 
side  of  the  vessel,  and  approached  the  little  cabin 
to  procure  my  poncho,  for  I  preferred  the  open  deck 
and  the  storm  to  the  suffocation  below.  The  hatch- 
way was  nearly  closed,  but  there  was  a  light  within. 
I  stooped  to  remove  the  slide,  and  in  doing  so 
obtained  a  full  view  of  the  interior.  The  spectacle 
which  presented  itself  was  so  extraordinary  that  I 
stopped  short,  and  looked  on  in  mute  surprise. 
The  candle  was  standing  on  the  locker,  and  kneel- 


THE     OBI     SUPERSTITION.  33 

ing  beside  it  was  the  captain.  He  was  stripped  to 
the  waist,  and  held  in  one  hand  what  appeared  to 
be  the  horn  of  some  animal,  in  which  he  caught  the 
blood  which  dripped  from  a  large  gash  in  the  fleshy 
part  of  his  left  arm,  just  above  the  elbow,  while  he 
muttered  rapidly  some  rude  and  strangely-sounding 
words,  unlike  any  I  had  ever  before  heard.  My 
first  impression  was  that  Antonio  had  tried  to  fulfill 
his  own  prediction,  by  attempting  the  life  of  the 
captain  ;  but  I  soon  saw  that  he  was  performing 
some  religious  rite,  a  sacrifice  or  propitiation,  such 
as  the  Ohi  men  still  teach  in  Jamaica  and  Santo 
Domingo,  and  which  are  stealthily  observed,  even  by 
the  negroes  professing  Christianity  and  having  a 
nominal  connection  with  the  church,  I  recognized 
in  the  horn  the  mysterious  gre-gre  of  the  Gold  Coast, 
where  the  lowest  form  of  fetish  worship  prevails, 
and  where  human  blood  is  regarded  as  the  most 
acceptable  of  sacrifices,  Eespecting  too  rigidly  all 
ceremonies  and  rites,  which  may  contribute  to  the 
j)eace  of  mind  of  others,  to  think  of  disturbing  them, 
I  silently  withdrew  from  the  hatchway,  and  left  the 
captain  to  finish  his  debasing  devotions.  In  a  short 
time  he  appeared  on  deck,  and  gave  some  orders  in 
a  calm  voice,  as  one  reassured  and  confident. 

I  was  occupied  below  for  only  a  few  minutes, 
yet  when  I  got  on  deck  again  the  storm  was  upon 
us.  The  waves  were  not  high,  but  the  water 
seemed  to  be  caught  up  by  the  wind,  and  to  be 
drifted  along,  like  snow,  in  blinding,  drenching 
sheets.      I  was  nearly  driven    off  my  feet   by  its 


84  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

force,  and  would  have  been  carried  overboard  bad  I 
not  become  entangled  in  tbe  rigging.  The  howling 
of  the  wind  and  the  hissing  of  the  water  would  have 
drowned  the  loudest  voice,  and  I  was  so  bhnded  by 
the  spray  that  I  could  not  see.  Yet  I  could  feel 
that  we  were  driving  before  the  hurricane  with 
fearful  rapidity.  The  very  deck  seemed  to  bend,  as 
if  ready  to  break,  beneath  our  feet.  I  finally  suffi- 
ciently recovered  myself  to  be  able,  in  the  pauses  of 
the  wind,  and  when  the  lightning  fell,  to  catch 
ghmpses  around  me.  Our  sails  were  torn  in  tatters, 
the  yards  were  gone,  in  fact  every  thing  was  swept 
from  the  deck  except  three  dark  figures,  like  myself, 
chnging  convulsively  to  the  ropes.  On,  on,  half- 
buried  in  the  sea,  we  drifted  with  inconceivable 
rapidity. 

Little  did  we  think  that  we  were  rushing  on  a 
danger  more  terrible  than  the  ocean.  The  storm  had 
buffeted  us  for  more  than  an  hour,  and  it  seemed  as 
if  it  had  exhausted  its  wrath,  and  had  begun  to 
subside,  when  a  sound,  hoarse  and  steady,  but 
louder  even  than  that  of  the  wind,  broke  on  our 
ears.  It  was  evident  that  we  were  approaching  it, 
for  every  instant  it  became  more  distinct  and  omin- 
ous. I  gazed  ahead  into  the  hopeless  darkness, 
when  suddenly  a  broad  sheet  of  lightning  revealed 
immediately  before  us,  and  not  a  cable's  length 
distant,  what,  under  the  lurid  gleam,  appeared  to 
be  a  wall  of  white  spray,  dashing  literally  a  hun- 
dred feet  in  the  air — a  lieU  of  waters,  from  which 
there  was  no  escape.     ^^El  Roncador  !"  shrieked  the 


THE    SHIPWRECK.  35 

captain,  in  a  voice  of  utter  despair,  that  even  tlien 
thrilled  Uke  a  knife  in  my  heart.  The  fearful 
moment  of  death  had  come,  and  I  had  barely  time 
to  draw  a  full  breath  of  preparation  for  the  strug- 
gle, when  we  were  literally  whelmed  in  the  raging 
waters.  I  felt  a  shock,  a  sharp  jerk,  and  the  hiss 
and  gurgle  of  the  sea,  a  sensation  of  immense 
pressure,  followed  by  a  blow  like  that  of  a  heavy 
fall.  Again  I  was  lifted  up,  and  again  struck 
down,  but  this  time  with  less  force.     I  had  just 


THE    SHIPWRECK. 


enough  consciousness  left  to  know  that  I  was  strik- 
ing on  the  sand,  and  I  made  an  involuntary  effort 
to  rise  and  escape  from  the  waves.  Before  I  could 
gain  my  feet  I  was  again  struck  down,  again  and 
again,  until,  nearer  dead  than  alive,  I  at  last  suc- 
ceeded in  crawling  to  a  spot  where  the  water  did 
not  reach  me.  I  strove  to  rise  now,  but  could  not ; 
and,  as  that  is  the  last  thing  I  remember  distinctly 
of  that  terrible  night,  I  suppose  I  must  have  fallen 
into  a  swoon. 


^^^.■Ii^.t 


that 
eyes 


OW  long  I  remained  insensible  I 
know  not,  but  when  my  conscious- 
ness returned,  which  it  did  slowly, 
like  the  lifting  of  a  curtain,  I  felt 
I  was  severely  hurt  ;  and,  before  opening  my 
tried  to  drive  away  my  terrible  recollections, 
as  one  rousing  from  a  troubled  dream  tries  to  ban- 
ish its  features  from  his  mind.  It  was  in  vain  ; 
and,  with  a  sensation  of  despair,  I  opened  my  eyes  ! 
The  morning  sun  was  shining  with  blinding  bril- 
liancy, and  I  was  obliged  to  close  them  again. 
Soon,  however,  I  was  able  to  bear  the  blaze,  and, 
painfully  lifting  myself  on  my  elbow,  looked  around 
me.  The  sea  was  thundering  with  awful  force,  not 
on  the  sandy  shore  where  I  was  lying,  but  over  a 
reef  two  hundred  yards  distant,  within  which  the 
water  was  calm,  or  only  disturbed  by  the  combing 
waves,  as  thev  broke  over  the  outer  barrier.     Here 


"el   roncador."  37 

the  first  and  only  object  which  attracted  my  atten- 
tion was  our  schooner,  lying  on  her  beam  ends,  high 
on  the  sands.  The  sea,  the  vessel,  the  blinding 
sun  and  glowing  sand,  and  a  bursting  j)ain  in  my 
head,  were  too  palpable  evidences  of  my  misfortune 
to  be  mistaken.  It  was  no  dream,  but  stern  and 
severe  reality,  and  for  the  moment  I  comprehended 
the  truth.  But,  when  younger,  I  had  read  of  ship- 
wrecks, and  listened,  with  the  interest  of  childhood, 
and  a  feehng  half  of  envy,  to  the  tales  of  old  sailors 
who  had  been  cast  away  on  desert  shores.  And 
now,  the  first  shock  over,  it  was  almost  with  a 
sensation  of  satisfaction,  and  something  of  exulta- 
tion, that  I  exclaimed  to  myself,  "  shipwrecked  at 
last  \"  Robinson  Crusoe,  and  Reilly  and  his  com- 
panions, recuiTed  to  my  mind,  and  my  impulse  was 
to  leap  up  and  commence  an  emulative  career. 
But  the  attempt  was  a  failure,  and  brought  me 
back  to  stern  reality,  in  an  instant.  My  limbs  were 
torn  and  scarified,  and  my  face  swollen  and  stiff. 
The  utmost  I  could  do  was  to  sit  erect. 

I  now,  for  the  first  time,  thought  of  my  compan- 
ions, and  despairingly  turned  my  eyes  to  look  for 
them.  Close  by,  and  nearly  behind  me,  sat  Anto- 
nio, resting  his  head  on  liis  hands.  His  clothes 
were  hanging  around  him  in  shreds,  his  hair  was 
matted  with  sand,  and  his  face  was  black  with 
dried  blood.  He  attempted  to  smile,  but  the  grim 
muscles  could  not  obey,  and  he  looked  at  me  in  si- 
lence.    I  was  the  first  to  speak  : 

Are  you  much  hurt,  Antonio  ? 

ii6(>8! 


38  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

"  The  Lord  of  Mitnal  never  lies  \"  was  his  only- 
response  ;  and  he  pointed  to  the  talisman  on  his 
swarthy  breast,  gleaming  like  polished  silver  in  the 
sun.  I  remembered  the  scene  of  the  previous  night, 
and  asked ; — 

Are  they  all  dead  ? 

He  shook  his  head,  in  sign  of  ignorance. 

Where  are  we,  Antonio  ? 

"  This  is  El  Koncador  !" 

And  so  it  proved.  We  were  on  one  of  the  nu- 
merous coral  keys  or  cays  which  stud  the  sea  of  the 
Antilles,  and  which  are  the  terror  of  the  mariners 
who  navigate  it.  They  are  usually  mere  banks  of 
sand,  elevated  a  few  feet  above  the  water,  occasion- 
ally supporting  a  few  bushes,  or  a  scrubby,  tempest- 
twisted  palm  or  two,  and  only  frequented  by  the 
sea-birds  for  rest  and  incubation,  and  by,  turtles  for 
laying  their  eggs.  Around  them  there  is  always  a 
reef  of  coral,  built  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea  by 
those  wonderful  architects,  the  coral  insects.  This 
reef  surrounds  the  cay,  at  a  greater  or  less  distance, 
like  a  ring,  leaving  between  it  and  the  island  prop- 
er a  belt  of  water,  of  variable  depth,  and  of  the 
loveliest  blue.  The  reef,  which  is  sometimes  scarce- 
ly visible  above  the  sea,  effectually  breaks  the  force 
of  the  waves  ;  and  if,  as  it  sometimes  happens,  it 
be  interrupted  so  as  to  leave  an  opening  for  the  ad- 
mission of  vessels,  the  inner  belt  of  water  forms  a 
safe  harbor.  Except  a  few  of  the  larger  ones,  none 
of  these  cays  are  inhabited,  nor  are  they  ever  fre- 
quented, except  by  the  turtle  fishers. 


"el   roncador."  39 

It  was  to  the  peculiar  conformation  of  these 
islands  that  our  safety  was  owing.  Our  little  vessel 
had  been  driven,  or  lifted  by  the  waves,  completely 
over  the  outer  reef.  The  shock  had  torn  us  from 
our  hold  on  the  ropes,  and  we  had  drifted  upon  the 
comparatively  protected  sands.  The  vessel  too, 
had  been  carried  upon  them,  and  the  waves  there 
not  being  sufSficiently  strong  to  break  her  in  pieces, 
she  was  left  high  and  dry  when  they  subsided. 
There  was,  nevertheless,  a  broad  break  in  her  keel, 
caused  probably  by  striking  on  the  reef. 

Two  of  the  five  human  beings  who  had  been  on 
board  of  her,  the  captain  and  his  mate,  were  drown- 
ed. We  found  their  bodies  ; — but  I  am  anticipat- 
ing my  story.  When  we  had  recovered  ourselves 
sufficiently  to  walk,  Antonio  and  myself  took  a  sur- 
vey of  our  condition.  "  El  Koncador,"  the  Snorer, 
is  a  small  cay,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  long,  and  at 
its  widest  part  not  more  than  four  hundred  yards 
broad, — a  mere  bank  of  white  sand.  At  the  east- 
ern end  is  an  acre  or  more  of  scrubby  bushes,  and 
near  them  three  or  four  low  and  distorted  palm- 
trees.  Fortunately  for  us,  as  will  be  seen  in  the 
sequel,  "  El  Koncador"  is  famous  for  the  number 
of  its  turtles,  and  is  frequented,  at  the  turtle  season, 
by  turtle-fishers  from  Old  Providence,  and  some- 
times from  the  main  land.  Among  the  palm- 
trees,  to  which  I  have  referred,  these  fishermen  had 
erected  a  rude  hut  of  poles,  boards,  and  palm- 
branches,  which  was  literally  withed  and  anchored 
to  the  trees,  to  keep  it  from  being  blown  away  by 


40  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

the  high  winds.  It  was  with  a  heart  full  of  joy 
that  I  saw  even  this  rude  evidence  of  human  intelli- 
gence,  and,  accompanied  by  Antonio,  hastened  to  it 
as  rapidly  as  my  bruised  limbs  would  enable  me. 
We  discovered  no  trace  of  recent  occupation  as  we 
approached,  except  a  kind  of  furrow  in  the  sand, 
like  that  which  some  sea-monster,  dragging  itself 
along,  might  occasion.  It  led  directly  to  the  hut, 
and  I  followed  it,  with  a  feeling  half  of  wonder, 
half  of  apprehension.  As  we  came  near,  however, 
I  saw,  through  the  open  front,  a  black  human  fig- 
ure crouching  within,  motionless  as  a  piece  of 
bronze.  Before  it,  stretched  at  length,  was  the 
dead  body  of  Captain  Ponto.  The  man  was  Frank, 
of  whom  I  have  sjDoken,  as  constituting  the  crew  of 
the  Prince  Albert.  It  was  a  fearful  sight !  The 
body  of  the  captain  was  swollen,  the  Kmbs  were 
stiff  and  spread  ajjart,  the  mouth  and  eyes  open, 
and  conveying  an  exj^ression  of  terror  and  utter  de- 
spair, which  makes  me  shudder,  even  now,  when  I 
think  of  it.  Upon  his  breast,  fastened  by  a  strong 
cord,  drawn  close  at  the  throat,  was  the  mysterious 
gre-gre  horn,  and  the  gash  in  his  arm,  from  which 
the  poor  wretch  had  drawn  the  blood  for  his  un- 
availing sacrifice,  had  opened  wide  its  white  edges, 
as  if  in  mute  appeal  against  his  fate. 

The  negro  sailor  had  drawn  the  body  of  the 
captain  to  the  hut,  and  the  trail  in  the  sand  was 
that  which  it  had  made.  I  spoke  to  him,  but  he 
neither  replied  nor  looked  up.  His  eyes  were  fixed, 
as  if  by  some  fascination,  on  the  corpse.     Antonio 


A     SCENE     WITH     THE     DEAD.  41 

exhibited  no  emotion,  but  advancing  close  to  the 
body  lifted  the  gre-gre  horn,  eyed  it  curiously  for  a 
moment,  then  tossed  it  contemptuously  aside,  ex- 
claiming : — 

"  It  could  not  save  him  :  it  is  not  good  !" 
The  words  were  scarcely  uttered,  when  the 
crouching  negro  leaped,  like  a  wild  beast,  at  the 
Indian's  throat ;  but  Antonio  was  agile,  and  evaded 
his  grasp.  The  next  instant  the  poor  wretch  had 
returned  to  his  seat  beside  the  dead.  The  negro 
could  not  endure  a  sneer  at  the  potency  of  the 
gre-gre.  Such  is  the  hold  of  superstition  on  the 
human  mind  ! 

I  tried  to  induce  the  negro  to  remove  the  body, 
and  bury  it  in  the  sand  ;  but  he  remained  silent  and 
impassible  as  a  stone.  So  I  retm-ned  with  Antonio 
to  the  vessel,  for  the  instincts  of  life  had  come 
back.  We  found,  although  the  little  schooner  had 
been  completely  filled,  that  the  water  had  escaped, 
and  left  the  cargo  damaged,  but  entire.  Some  of 
the  provisions  had  been  destroyed,  and  the  re- 
mainder was  much  injm'ed.  Nevertheless  they 
could  be  used,  and  for  the  time  being,  at  least,  we 
were  safe  from  starvation.  My  sphits  rose  with  the 
discovery,  and  I  almost  forgot  my  injuries  in  the 
joy  of  the  moment.  But  Antonio  betrayed  no 
signs  of  interest.  He  lifted  boxes  and  barrels,  and 
placed  them  on  the  sands,  as  deliberately  as  if  un- 
loading the  vessel  at  Kingston.  I  knew  that  it  was 
not  probable  the  wrecked  schooner  would  suffer 
further  damage  from  the  sea,  protected  as  it  was 


42  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

by  the  outer  reef,  yet  I  sought  to  make  assurance 
doubly  sure,  by  removing  what  remained  of  the 
provisions  to  the  hut  by  the  palm-trees.  Antonio 
suggested  nothing,  but  implicitly  followed  my  di- 
rections. 

We  had  got  out  most  of  the  stores,  and  carried 
them  above  the  reach  of  the  waters  on  the  sands, 
when  I  went  back  to  the  hut,  with  the  determina- 
tion, by  at  once  assuming  a  tone  of  authority,  to 
have  the  negro  remove  and  bury  the  body  of 
the  captain.  I  was  surprised  to  find  the  hut 
empty,  and  a  trail,  like  that  which  had  attracted 
my  notice  in  the  morning,  leading  off  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  bushes,  at  some  distance  from  the  hut. 
I  followed  it ;  and,  in  the  centre  of  the  clump,  dis- 
covered the  negro  filling  in  the  sand  above  the 
corpse.  He  mumbled  constantly  strange  guttural 
words,  and  made  many  mysterious  signs  on  the 
sand,  as  he  proceeded.  When  the  hole  was  entirely 
filled,  he  laid  himself  at  length  above  it.  I  waited 
some  minutes,  but  as  he  remained  motionless,  re- 
turned to  the  hut.  We  now  commenced  carrying 
to  it,  such  articles  of  use  as  could  be  easily  removed. 
But  we  had  not  accomplished  much  when  Frank,  the 
negro,  presented  himself;  and,  approaching  me,  in- 
quired meekly  what  he  should  do.  He  was  least 
injured  of  the  three,  and  proved  most  serviceable  in 
clearing  the  wreck  of  all  of  its  useful  and  moveable 
contents. 

By  night  I  had  bandaged  my  own  wounds  and 
those  of  my  companions,  and  over  a  simple   but 


A    NIGHT    OF     DELIRIUM,  43 

profuse  meal,  forgot  the  horrors  of  the  shipwreck, 
and  gave  myself  up,  with  real  zest,  to  the  pleasures 
of  a  cast-away  !  I  cannot  well  describe  the  sensa- 
tion of  mingled  novelty  and  satisfaction,  with  which 
I  looked  out  from  the  open  hut  upon  the  turbulent 
waters,  whence  we  had  so  narrowly  escaped.  The 
sea  still  heaved  from  the  effects  of  the  storm,  hut 
the  storm  itself  had  passed,  and  the  full  tropical 
moon  looked  down  calmly  upon  our  island,  which 
seemed  silvery  and  fairy-like  beneath  its  rays. 

At  first,  all  these  things  were  quieting  in  their  in- 
fluences, but  as  the  night  advanced  I  must  have  be- 
come feverish,  for  notwithstanding  the  toils  of  the 
day,  and  the  exhaustion  of  the  previous  night,  I 
could  not  sleep.  My  thoughts  were  never  so  active. 
All  that  I  had  ever  seen,  heard,  or  done,  flashed 
back  upon  my  mind  with  the  vividness  of  reaUty. 
But,  owing  to  some  curious  psychical  condition, 
my  mind  was  only  retrospectively  active  ;  I  tried  in 
vain  to  bring  it  to  a  contemplation  of  the  present 
or  the  future.  Incidents  long  forgotten  jostled 
through  my  brain  ;  the  grave  mingling  strangely 
with  the  gay.  Now  I  laughed  outright  over  some 
freak  of  childhood,  which  came  back  with  primitive 
freshness  ;  and,  next  moment,  wept  again  beside  the 
bed  of  death,  or  found  myself  singing  some  hitherto 
unremembered  nursery  rhyme,  I  struggled  against 
these  thronging  memories,  and  tried  to  ask  myself 
if  they  might  not  be  premonitions  of  delirium.  I 
felt  my  own  pulse,  it  beat  rapidly  ;  my  own  fore- 
head, and  it  seemed  to  burn.     In  the  vague  hope  of 


44  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

averting  whatever  this  strange  mental  activity- 
might  portend,  I  rose  and  walked  down  to  the  edge 
of  the  water.  I  remember  distinctly  that  the  shore 
seemed  black  with  turtles,  and  that  I  thought  them 
creations  of  a  disordered  fancy,  and  became  almost 
mad  under  the  mere  apprehension  that  the  mad- 
ness was  upon  me. 

I  might,  and  undoubtedly  would,  have  become 
mad,  had  it  not  been  for  Antonio.  He  had  missed 
me  from  the  hut ;  and,  in  alarm,  had  come  to  seek 
me.  I  felt  greatly  reheved  when  he  told  me  that 
there  were  real  turtles  on  the  shore,  and  not  mon- 
sters of  the  imagination  ;  and  that  it  was  now  the 
season  for  laying  their  eggs,  and  therefore  it  could 
not  be  long  before  the  fishers  would  come  for  their 
annual  supply  of  shells.  So  I  suffered  him  to  lead 
me  back  to  the  hut.  When  I  laid  down  he  took 
my  head  between  his  hands,  and  pressed  it  steadily, 
but  aj)parently  with  all  his  force.  The  eifect  was 
soothing,  for  in  less  than  half  an  hour  my  ideas  had 
recovered  their  equilibrium,  and  I  fell  into  a  slum- 
ber, and  slept  soundly  until  noon  of  the  following 
day. 

When  I  awoke,  Antonio  was  sitting  close  by  me, 
and  intently  watching  every  movement.  He  smiled 
when  my  eyes  met  his,  and  pointing  to  his  forehead 
said  significantly — 

"  It  is  all  right  now  \" 

And  it  was  all  right,  but  I  felt  weak  and  feverish 
still.  A  sound  constitution,  however,  resisted  aU 
attacks,  and  it  was  not  many  days  before  I  was  able 


CATCHING     TURTLES.  45 

to  move  around  our  sandy  prison,  and  join  Antonio 
and  Frank  in  catching  turtles  ;  for,  with  more  fore- 
sight than  I  had  supposed  to  belong  to  the  Indian 
and  negro  character,  they  were  laying  in  a  stock  of 
shells,  against  the  time  when  we  should  find  an  op- 
portunity of  escape.  Upon  the  side  of  our  island,  to 
which  I  have  alluded  as  covered  with  bushes,  the 
water  was  comparatively  shoal,  and  the  bottom 
overgrown  with  a  species  of  sea-grass,  which  is  a 
principal  article  of  turtle-food.  The  surface  of  the 
water,  also,  was  covered  with  a  variety  of  small  blub- 
ber fish,  which  Antonio  called  by  the  Spanish  name 
of  dedales,  or  thimbles — a  name  not  inappropriate, 
since  they  closely  resembled  a  lady's  thimble  both 
in  shape  and  size.  These,  at  the  spawning  or  egg- 
laying  period  of  the  year,  constitute  another  article 
of  turtle-food.  During  the  night-time  the  turtles 
crawled  up  on  the  shore,  and  the  females  dug  holes 
in  the  sand,  each  about  two  feet  deep,  in  which 
they  deposited  from  sixty  to  eighty  eggs.  These 
they  contrived  to  cover  so  neatly,  as  to  defy  the 
curiosity  of  one  unacquainted  with  their  habits. 
Both  Antonio  and  Frank,  however,  were  familiar 
with  turtle-craft,  and  got  as  many  eggs  as  we  de- 
sired. When  roasted,  they  are  really  delicious. 
The  Indians  and  people  of  the  coasts  never  destroy 
them,  being  careful  to  promote  the  increase  of  this 
valuable  shell-fish.  But  on  the  main  land,  wild 
animals,  such  for  instance  as  the  cougar,  frequently 
come  down  to  the  shore,  and  dig  them  from  their 
resting  places.    Occasionally  they  capture  the  turtles 


46 


THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE, 


themselves,  and  dragging  them  into  the  forest,  Idll 
and  devour  them,  in  spite  of  their  shelly  armor. 

It  was  during  the  night,  therefore,  that  Antonio 
and  Frank,  who  kept  themselves  concealed  in  the 
bushes,  rushed  out  upon  the  turtles,  and  with  iron 
hooks  turned  them  on  their  backs,  when  they  be- 
came powerless  and  incapable  of  moving.  The  day 
following,  they  dragged  them  to  the  most  distant 
part  of  the  island,  where  they  "  shelled  "  them  ; — a 


^^/^fc 


shelling"    turtles. 


cruel  process,  which  it  made  my  flesh  creep  to 
witness.  Before  describing  it,  however,  I  must  ex- 
plain that,  although  the  habits  of  all  varieties  of 
the  turtle  are  much  the  same,  yet  their  uses  are 
very  different.  The  large,  green  turtle  is  best 
known  ;  it  frequently  reaches  our  markets,  and  its 
flesh  is  esteemed,  by  epicures,  as  a  great  delicacy. 


"SHELLING        TURTLES,  47 

The  flesli  of  the  smaller  or  hawk-hill  variety  is  not 
so  good,  hut  its  shell  is  most  valuahle,  heing  hoth 
thicker  and  hetter-colored.  What  is  called  tor- 
toise-shell is  not,  as  is  generally  sujjposed,  the  hony 
covering  or  shield  of  the  turtle,  hut  only  the  scales 
which  cover  it.  These  are  tliirteen  in  numher, 
eight  of  them  flat,  and  five  a  little  curved.  Of  the 
flat  ones  four  are  large,  heing  sometimes  a  foot 
long  and  seven  inches  hroad,  semi-transparent, 
elegantly  variegated  with  white,  red,  yellow,  and 
dark  hrown  clouds,  which  are  fully  hrought  out, 
when  the  shell  is  prepared  and  polished.  These 
lamina,  as  I  have  said,  constitute  the  external 
coating  of  the  solid  or  hony  part  of  the  shell ;  and 
a  large  turtle  affords  ahout  eight  pounds  of  them, 
the  plates  varying  from  an  eighth  to  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  in  thickness. 

The  fishers  do  not  kill  the  turtles  ;  did  they  do 
so,  they  would  in  a  few  years  exterminate  them. 
When  the  turtle  is  caught,  they  fasten  him,  and 
cover  his  hack  with  dry  leaves  or  grass,  to  which 
they  set  fire.  The  heat  causes  the  plates  to  separ- 
ate at  then-  joints.  A  large  knife  is  then  carefully 
inserted  horizontally  heneath  them,  and  the  1am- 
inaa  lifted  from  the  hack,  care  heing  taken  not  to 
injure  the  shell  hy  too  much  heat,  nor  to  force  it 
off,  until  the  heat  has  fully  prepared  it  for  separa- 
tion. Many  turtles  die  under  this  cruel  operation, 
hut  instances  are  numerous  in  which  they  have 
heen  caught  a  second  time,  with  the  outer  coating 
reproduced  ;  hut,  in  these  cases,  instead  of  thirteen 


48 


THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 


jjieces,  it  is  a  single  piece.  As  I  have  already  said, 
I  could  never  bring  myself  to  witness  this  cruelty 
more  than  once,  and  was  glad  that  the  process  of 
"  scaling"  was  carried  on  out  of  sight  of  the  hut. 
Had  the  poor  turtles  the  power  of  shrieking,  they 
would  have  made  that  barren  island  a  very  hell, 
with  their  cries  of  torture. 

We  had  been  nearly  two  weeks  on  the  island, 
when  we  were  one  morning  surprised  by  a  sail  on 
,the  edge  of  the  horizon.  We  watched  it  eagerly, 
and  as  it  grew  more  and  more  distinct,  our  spirits 
rose  in  proportion.     Its  approach  was  slow,  but  at 

noon  Frank  declared  that 
it  was  a  turtle  schooner, 
v-~  from  the  island  of  Cata- 


asail!    asail! 

rina  or  Providence,  and  that  it  was  making  for  "  El 
Roncador."  And  the  event  proved  that  he  was 
right  ;  for,  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon, 
she  had  passed  an  opening  through  the  reef,  and 
anchored  in  the  still  water  inside.  She  had  a  crew 
of  five  men,  in  whom  it  was  difficult  to  say  if 
white,  negro,  or  Indian  blood  predominated.  They 
spoke  a  kind  of  patois,  in  which  Spanish  was  the 
leading  element.     And  although  we  were  unquali- 


SUSPICIOUS     VISITORS.  49 

fiedly  glad  to  see  them,  yet  tliey  were  clearly  not 
pleased  to  see  us.  The  patron,  or  captain,  no 
sooner  put  his  foot  on  shore,  than  aifecting  to  re- 
gard US  as  intruders,  he  demanded  why  we  were 
there  ?  and  if  we  did  not  know  that  this  island 
was  the  property  of  the  people  of  Catarina  ?  We 
replied  by  pointing  to  our  shattered  schooner,  when 
the  whole  party  started  for  it,  and  unceremoni- 
ously began  to  strip  it  of  whatever  article  of  use  or 
value  they  could  find,  leaving  us  to  the  pleasant 
reflections  which  such  conduct  was  likely  to  suggest. 
While  this  was  going  on,  I  returned  to  the  hut, 
and  found  that  Antonio  and  Frank  had  already  re- 
moved the  shells  which  they  had  procured,  as  also 
some  other  valuables  which  we  had  recovered  from 
the  wreck,  and  had  buried  them  in  the  sand — a 
prudent  precaution,  which  no  doubt  saved  us  much 
trouble.  A  little  before  sundown,  our  new  friends, 
having  apparently  exhausted  the  plunder,  came 
trooping  back  to  the  hut,  and  without  ceremony  or- 
dered us  out.  I  thought,  although  the  physical 
force  was  against  us,  that  a  little  determination 
might  make  up  for  the  odds,  and  firmly  replied  that 
they  might  have  a  part  of  it,  if  they  wished,  but 
that  we  were  there,  and  intended  to  remain.  The 
patron  hereupon  fell  into  a  great  passion,  and  told 
his  men  to  bring  up  the  machetes — ugly  instru- 
ments, half  knife,  half  cleaver.  "  He  would  see," 
he  said,  in  his  mongrel  tongue,  "  if  this  white  vil- 
lain would  refuse  to  obey  him."  Two  of  the  men 
started  to  fulfill  his  order,  while  he  stood  scowling 


50  THE     MOSVL'ITO     SHORE. 

in  the  doorway.  When  they  had  got  off  a  httle  dis- 
tance, I  unrolled  a  blanket  in  which  I  had  wrapped 
our  pistols,  and  giving  one  to  Frank,  and  another 
to  Antonio,  I  took  my  own  revolver,  and  passed 
outside  of  the  hut.  The  patron  fell  back,  in  evi- 
dent alarm. 

"  Now,  amigo,"  said  I,  "  if  you  want  a  fight, 
you  shall  have  it  ;  but  you  shall  die  first  !"  And  I 
took  deliberate  aim  at  his  breast,  at  a  distance  of 
less  than  five  yards.  "  Mother  of  Mercy  !"  he  ex- 
claimed, and  glanced  round,  as  if  for  support,  to 
his  followers.  But  they  had  taken  to  their  legs, 
without  waiting  for  further  proceedings.  The 
patron  attempted  to  follow,  but  I  caught  him  by 
the  arm,  and  pressed  the  cold  muzzle  of  the  pistol 
to  his  head.  He  trembled  like  an  aspen,  and  sunk 
upon  the  ground,  crying  in  most  abject  tones  for 
mercy.  I  released  him,  but  he  did  not  attempt  to 
stir.  The  circumstances  were  favorable  for  negotia- 
tion, and  in  a  few  minutes  it  was  arranged  that  we 
should  continue  to  occupy  the  hut,  and  that  he 
should  remain  with  us,  while  his  crew  should  stay 
on  board  the  vessel,  when  not  engaged  in  catching 
turtles.  He  did  not  like  the  exception  in  his  favor  ; 
but,  fearing  that  he  might  pull  up  anchor  and  leave 
us  to  our  fate,  I  insisted  that  I  could  not  forego  the 
])leasure  of  his  company. 

The  reader  may  be  sure  that  I  had  a  vigilant  eye 
on  our  patron,  and  at  night  either  Antonio  or 
Frank  kept  watch,  that  he  should  not  give  us  the 
slip.     He  made  one  or  two  attempts,  but  finding  us 


DEPARTURE     FROM     THE     CAY,  ol 

prepared,  at  the  end  of  a  couple  of  days,  resigned 
himself  to  his  fate.  Contenting  ourselves  with  our 
previous  spoil,  we  allowed  the  new  comers  to  pur- 
sue the  fishery  alone.  At  the  end  of  a  week  I 
discovered,  hy  various  indications,  that  the  season 
was  nearly  over,  and,  accordingly,  making  a  care- 
less display  of  my  revolver,  told  the  captain  that  I 
thought  it  would  be  more  agreeable  for  us  to  go  on 
board  his  schooner,  than  to  remain  on  shore.  I 
could  see  that  the  proposition  was  not  acceptable, 
and  therefore  repeated  it,  in  such  a  way  that 
there  was  no  alternative  but  assent  left.  He  was  a 
good  deal  surprised  when  he  discovered  the  amount 
of  shells  which  we  had  obtained  ;  and  when  I  told 
him  that  he  should  have  half  of  it,  for  carrying  us 
to  Providence,  and  the  whole  if  he  took  us  to  Blue- 
fields,  his  good  nature  returned.  He  asked  pardon 
for  his  rudeness,  and,  slapping  his  breast,  pro- 
claimed himself  "  U7i  liombre  hueno,"  who  would 
take  us  to  the  world's  end,  if  I  would  only  put  up 
my  horrible  pistol.  That  pistol,  from  the  very  first 
day,  had  had  a  land  of  deadly  fascination  for  the 
patron,  who  watched  it,  as  if  momentarily  expecting 
it  to  discharge  itself  at  his  head.  And  even  now, 
when  he  alluded  to  it,  a  perceptible  shudder  ran 
through  his  frame. 

Two  days  after  I  had  taken  up  my  quarters  on 
board  of  the  little  schooner,  which,  in  age  and  accu- 
mulated filth,  might  have  been  twin-brother  of  the 
Prince  Albert,  we  set  sail  from  "  El  Roncador." 
As  it  receded  in  the  distance,  it  looked  very  beauti- 


52  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

ful — an  opal  in  the  sea — and  I  could  hardly  realize 
that  it  was  nothing  more  than  a  reef-girt  heap  of 
desert  sands. 

Although  friendly  relations  had  been  restored 
with  the  patron,  for  the  crew  seemed  nearly  passive, 
I  kept  myself  constantly  on  my  guard  against  foul 
play.  Antonio  was  sleeplessly  vigilant.  But  the 
patron,  so  far  from  having  evil  designs,  appeared 
really  to  have  taken  a  liking  to  me,  and  expatiated 


^• 


"el  roncadoe." 

upon  the  delights  of  Providence,  where  he  repre- 
sented himself  as  being  a  grea,t  man,  with  much  un- 
couth eloquence.  He  promised  that  I  should  ba 
well  received,  and  that  he  would  himself  get  up  a 
dance — which  he  seemed  to  think  the  height  of 
civility — in  my  honor. 

About  noon,  on  our  third  day  from  "  El  Eonca- 
dor,"  the  patron  pointed  out  to  me  two  light  blue 
mounds,  one  sharp  and  conical,  and  the  other  round 
and  broad,  upon  the  edge  of  the  horizon.  They 
were  the  highlands  of  Providence.  Before  night, 
we  had  doubled  the  rocky  headland  of  Santa  Cata- 
rina,  crowned  with  the  ruins  of  some  old  Spanish 
fortifications,  and  in  half  an  hour  were  at  anchor. 


ISLAND     OF     PROVIDENCE.  53 

alongside  a  large  New  Granadian  schooner,  in  the 
small  but  snug  harbor  of  the  island. 

This  island  is  almost  unknown  to  the  world  ;  it 
has,  indeed,  very  little  to  commend  it  to  notice. 
Although  accounted  a  single  island,  it  is,  in  fact, 
two  islands  ;  one  is  six  or  eight  miles  long,  and 
four  or  five  broad,  and  but  moderately  elevated  ; 
while  the  second,  which  is  a  rocky  headland,  called 
Catarina,  is  separated  from  the  main  body  by  a 
naiTow  but  deep  channel.  The  whole  belongs  to 
New  Grranada,  and  has  about  three  hundred  inhab- 
itants, extremely  variegated  in  color,  but  with  a 
decided  tendency  to  black.  This  island  was  a 
famous  resort  of  the  pirates,  during  their  predom- 
inance in  these  parts,  who  expelled  the  Spaniards, 
and  built  defences,  by  means  of  which  they  several 
times  repelled  their  assailants. 

The  productions  consist  chiefly  of  fruits  and  vege- 
tables ;  a  little  cotton  is  also  raised,  which,  with  the 
turtle-shells  collected  by  the  inhabitants,  constitutes 
about  the  only  export  of  the  island.  Vessels  coming 
northward  sometimes  stop  there,  for  a  cargo  of 
cocoa-nuts  and  yncas. 

As  can  readily  be  imagined,  the  people  are  very 
primitive  in  their  habits,  living  chiefly  in  rude, 
thatched  huts,  and  leading  an  indolent,  tropical 
life,  swinging  in  their  hammocks  and  smoking  by 
day,  and  dancing,  to  the  twanging  of  guitars,  by 
night.  My  patron,  whom  I  had  suspected  of  being 
something  of  a  braggart,  was  in  reality  a  very  con- 
siderable personage  in  Providence,  and   I  was   re- 


54  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOEE. 

ceived  with  great  favor  by  the  people,  to  whom  he 
introduced  me  as  his  own  "  very  special  friend."  I 
thought  of  our  first  interview  on  "El  Koncador," 
but  suppressed  my  inclination  to  laugh,  as  well  as  I 
was  able.  True  to  his  promise,  the  second  night 
after  our  arrival  was  dedicated  to  a  dance.  The 
only  preparation  for  it  consisted  in  the  production 
of  a  number  of  large  wax  candles,  resembling 
torches  in  size,  and  the  concoction  of  several  big 
vessels  of  drink,  in  which  Jamaica  rum,  some  fresh 
juice  of  the  sugar-cane,  and  a  quantity  of  powdered 
peppers  were  the  chief  ingredients.  The  music 
consisted  of  a  violin,  two  guitars  and  a  queer  Indian 
instrument,  resembling  a  bow,  the  string  of  which, 
if  the  critic  will  pardon  the  bull,  was  a  brass  wire 
drawn  tight  by  means  of  a  perforated  gourd,  and 
beaten  vidth  a  stick,  held  by  the  performer,  between 
his  thumb  and  forefinger, 

I  cannot  attempt  to  describe  the  dance,  which, 
not  over  delicate  at  the  outset,  became  outrageous 
as  the  calabashes  of  liquor  began  to  circulate. 
Both  sexes  drank  and  danced,  until  most  could 
neither  drink  nor  dance  ;  and  then,  it  seemed  to  me, 
they  all  got  into  a  general  quarrel,  in  which  the 
musicians  broke  their  respective  instruments  over 
each  other's  heads,  then  cried,  embraced,  and  were 
friends  again,  I  did  not  wait  for  the  end  of  the  de- 
bauch, which  soon  ceased  to  be  amusing  ;  but,  with 
Antonio,  stole  away,  and  paddled  ofi*  to  the  little 
schooner,  where  the  last  sounds  that  rung  in  my  ears 
were  the  shouts  and  discordant  songs  of  the  revelers. 


HO,    FOE     THE     MAIN-LAND!  55 

Providence,  it  can  easily  be  understood,  offered 
few  attractions  to  an  artist  minus  the  materials  for 
pursuing  his  vocation  ;  and  I  was  delighted  when  I 
learned  that  the  New  Granadiau  schooner  was  ou 
the  eve  of  her  departure  for  San  Juan  de  Nicara- 
gua. Her  captain  readily  consented  to  land  me  at 
Bluefields,  and  our  patron  magnificently  waived  all 
claims  to  the  tortoise-shells  which  we  had  obtained 
at  "El  Roncador,"  I  had  no  difficulty  in  selling 
them  to  the  captain  of  "  El  General  Bolivar"  for  the 
unexpected  sum  of  three  hundred  dollars.  Fifty 
dollars  of  these  I  gave  to  the  negro  Frank,  who  was 
quite  at  home  in  Providence.  I  offered  to  divide 
the  rest  with  Antonio,  hut  he  refused  to  receive  any 
portion  of  it,  and  insisted  on  accompanying  me 
without  recompense.  "  You  are  my  brother,"  said 
he,  "  and  I  will  not  leave  you."  And  here  I  may 
add  that,  in  all  my  wanderings,  he  was  my  constant 
companion  and  firm  and  faithful  friend.  His  his- 
tory, a  wild  and  wonderful  tale,  I  shall  some  day 
lay  before  the  world :  for  Antonio  was  of  regal 
stock,  the  son  and  lieutenant  of  Chichen  Pat,  one 
of  the  last  and  bravest  of  the  chiefs  of  Yucatan, 
who  lost  his  life,  under  the  very  walls  of  Merida,  in 
the  last  unsuccessful  rising  of  the  aborigines  ;  and  I 
blush  to  add  that  the  fiital  bullet,  which  slew  the 
hope  of  the  Indians,  was  sped  from  the  rifle  of  an 
American  mercenary  ! 


^¥^i?^M 


HE  approach  to  the  coast,  near 
Bhiefields,  holds  out  no  delusions. 
The  shore  is  flat,  and  in  all  respects  tame  and  un- 
interesting. A  white  line  of  sand,  a  green  belt  of 
trees,  with  no  relief  except  here  and  there  a  soli- 
tary palm,  and  a  few  blue  hills  in  the  distance,  are 
the  only  objects  which  are  offered  to  the  expectant 
eyes  of  the  voyager.  A  nearer  approach  reveals  a 
large  lagoon,  protected  by  a  narrow  belt  of  sand, 
covered,  on  the  inner  side,  with  a  dense  mass  of 
manoTove  trees  ;  and  this  is  the  harbor  of  Blue- 
fields.  The  entrance  is  narrow,  but  not  difficult,  at 
the  foot  of  a  high,  rocky  bluff,  which  completely 
commands  the  passage. 

The  town,  or  rather  the  collection  of  huts  called 
by  that  name,  lies  nearly  nine  miles  from  the  en- 
trance. After  much  tacking,  and  backing,  and 
filling,  to  avoid  the  innumerable  banks  and  shal- 


TOWN     OF     BLUEFIELDS.  57 

lows  in  the  lagoon,  we  finally  arrived  at  the  anchor- 
age. We  had  hardly  got  our  anchor  down,  before 
we  were  boarded  by  a  very  pompous  black  man, 
dressed  in  a  shirt  of  red  check,  pantaloons  of  white 
cotton  cloth,  and  a  glazed  straw  hat,  "with  feet  in- 
nocent of  shoes,  whose  office  nobody  knew,  further 
than  that  he  was  called  "  Admiral  Rodney,"  and 
was  an  important  functionary  in  the  "  Mosquito 
Kingdom."  Ho  bustled  about,  in  an  extraordinary 
way,  but  his  final  purpose  seemed  narrowed  down 
to  getting  a  dram,  and  pocketing  a  couple  of  dol- 
lars, sUly  slipped  into  his  hand  by  the  captain,  just 
before  he  got  over  the  side.  When  he  had  left,  we 
were  told  that  we  could  go  on  shore. 

Bluefields  is  an  imperial  citj,  the  jiesidence  of  the 
court  of  the  Mosquito  Kingdom,  and  therefore 
merits  a  particulp.r  description.  As  I  have  said,  it 
is~a  cblTection  of  the  rudest  possible  thatched  huts. , 
Among  them  are  two  or  three  framed  buildings, 
one  of  which  is  the  residence  of  a  Mr.  Bell,  an 
Englishman,  with  whom,  as  I  afterwards  learned, 
resided  that  world-renowned  monarch,  "  George 
William  Clarence,  King  of  all  the  Mosquitos." 
The  site  of  the  huts  is  picturesque,  being  upon 
comparatively  high  ground,  at  a  point  where  a  con- 
siderable stream  from  the  interior  enters  the  lagoon. 
There  are  two  villages  ;  the  principal  one,  or  Blue- 
fields  proper,  which  is  much  the  largest,  containing 
perhaps  five  hundred  people  ;  and  "  Carlsruhe,"  a 
kind  of  dependency,  so  named  by  a  colony  of  Prus- 
sians who  had  attempted  to  establish  themselves  here. 


58  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

but  whose  colony,  at  tlie  time  of  my  visit,  liacl  utterly 
failed.  Out  of  more  than  a  hundred  of  the  poor 
people,  who  had  been  induced  to  come  here,  but 
three  or  four  were  left,  existing  in  a  state  of  great 
debility  and  distress.  Most  of  their  companions 
had  died,  but  a  few  had  escajDed  to  the  interior, 
where  they  bear  convincing  witness  to  the  wicked- 
ness of  attempting  to  found  colonies,  from  north- 
ern climates,  on  low,  pestiferous  shores,  under  the 
tropics. 

Among  the  huts  were  many  palm  and  plantain 
trees,  with  detached  stalks  of  the  jDapaya,  laden 
with  its  large  golden  fruit.  The  shore  was  lined 
with  canoes,  pit2oans  and  dories,  hollowed  from  the 
trunks  of  trees,  all  sharp,  trim,  and  graceful  in 
shape.  The  natives  propel  them,  with  great  rapid- 
ity, by  single  broad-bladed  paddles,  struck  vertical- 
ly in  the  water,  first  on  one  side,  and  then  on  the 
other.* 

There  was  a  large  assemblage  on  the  beach,  when 
we  landed,  but  I  was  amazed  to  find  that,  with  few 
exceptions,  they  were  all  unmitigated  negros,  or 
Sambos  {i.  e.  mixed  negro  and  Indian).  I  had 
heard_  of  the  Mosquito  shore  as  occupied  by  the 
Mosquito  Indians,  but  soon  found  that  there  were 

*  The  dory  is  usually  hollowed  from  a  solid  piece  of  mahogany  or 
cedar,  and  is  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  feet  in  length.  This  kind  of 
vessel  is  found  so  buoyant  and  safe,  that  persons,  accustomed  to  the 
management  of  it,  often  feanessly  venture  out  to  sea,  in  weather 
when  it  might  be  unsafe  to  trust  to  vessels  of  a  larger  kind. 

The  2^it2Mn  is  another  variety  of  canoe,  excelling  the  dory  in 
point  of  speed.  It  is  of  the  same  material,  differing  only  in  being 
flat-bottomed. 


B  L  V  K  ]•'  I  E  L  D  S  .  59 

few,  if  any,  pure  Indians  on  the  entii'e  coast.  The 
miserable  people  "who  ^o  by  that  name  are,  in  real- 
ity, Sambos,  having  a  considerable  intermixtui'e.of 
trader  blood  from  Jamaica,  with  jwhich.  island  the 
coast  has-its  -principal  relations.  The  arrival  of  the 
jfcraders  on  the  shore  is  the  signal  for  unrestrained 
debauch"eiy,  always  preluded  by  the  traders  baj^tiz- 
ing,  in  a  manner  not  remarkable  for  its  delicacy  or 
gravity,  all  children  born  since  their  last  visit,  in 
whom  there  is  any  decided  indication  of  white  blood. 
The  names  given  on  these  occasions  are  as  fantastic 
a&"the  ceremony,  and  great  liberties  are  taken  with 
the  cognomens  of  all  notabilities,  living  and  dead, 
from  "  Pompey"  down  to  "  Wellington," 

Our  fii'st  concern  in  Bluefields  was  to  get  a  roof 
to  shelter  us,  which  we  finally  succeeded  in  doing, 
through  the  intervention  of  the  captain  of  the 
"  Bolivar."  That  is  to  say,  a  dilapidated  negro 
from  Jamaica,  hearing  that  I  had  just  left  that  de- 
lectable island,  claimed  me  as  his  countryman,  and 
gave  me  a  little  deserted  thatched  hut,  the  walls  of 
which  were  composed  of  a  kind  of  wicker  work  of 
upright  canes,  interwoven  with  palm  leaves.  This 
structure  had  served  him,  in  the  days  of  his  pros- 
perity, as  a  kitchen.  It  was  not  more  than  ten  feet 
square,  but  would  admit  a  hammock,  hung  diago- 
nally from  one  corner  to  the  other.  To  this  abbre- 
viated establishment,  I  moved  my  few  damaged  ef- 
fects, and  in  the  course  of  the  day,  completely  do- 
mesticated myself.  Antonio  exhibited  the  greatest 
aptness  and  industry  in  making  our  quarters  com- 


60  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

fortable,  and  evinced  an  elasticity  and  cheerfulness 
of  manner  unknown  before.  In  the  evening,  he  re- 
sponded to  the  latent  inquiry  of  my  looks,  by  say- 
ing, that  his  heart  had  become  lighter  since  he  had 
reached  the  continent,  and  that  his  Lord  gave  prom- 
ise of  better  days. 

"  Look  !"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  held  up  his  talis- 
man before  my  eyes.  It  emitted  a  pale  light, 
which  seemed  to  come  from  it  in  pulsations,  or 
radiating  circles.  It  may  have  been  fancy,  but  if 
so,  I  am  not  j)repared  to  say  that  all  which  we  deem 
real  is  not  a  dream  and  a  delusion  ! 

My  host  was  a  man  of  more  pretensions  tha.i 
Captain  Ponto,  but  otherwise  very  much  of  the 
same  order  of-  African  architecture.  From  his 
cautious  silence,  on  the  subject  of  his  arrival  on  the 
coast,  I  inferred  that  he  had  been  brought  out  as  a 
slave,  some  thirty-five  or  forty  years  ago,  when  several 
planters  from  Jamaica  attempted  to  establish  them- 
selves here.  However  that  may  have  been,  he 
now  called  liimself  a  "  merchant,"  and  appeared 
proud  of  a  little  collection  of  "  osnaburgs,"  a  few 
red  bandanna  handkerchiefs,  flanked  by  a  dingy 
cask  of  what  the  Yankees  would  call  "the  rale 
critter,"  which  occupied  one  corner  of  his  house  or 
rather  hut.  He  brooded  over  these  with  unremit- 
ting care,  although  I  believe  I  was  his  only  cus- 
tomer, (to  the  extent  of  a  few  fish  hooks),  during  my 
stay  in  Bluefields,  He  called  himself  Hodgson, 
(the  name,  as  I  afterwards  learned,  of  one  of  the 
old   British  superintendents,)  and  based  his  ho])es 


MOSQUITO     ROYALTY.  61 

of  family  immortality  upon  a  son,  whom  ho  respect- 
fully called  Mister  James  Hodgson,  and  who  was, 
he  said,  principal  counselor  to  the  king.  This  in- 
formation, communicated  to  me  within  two  hours 
after  my  arrival,  led  me  to  believe  myself  in  the 
line  of  favorable  presentation  at  court.  But  I 
found  out  afterwards,  that  this  promising  scion  of 
the  house  of  Hodgson  v/as  "  under  a  cloud,"  and  had 
lost  the  sunshine  of  imperial  favor,  in  consequence 
-of  having  made  some  most  indiscreet  confessions, 
when  taken  a  prisoner,  a  few  years  before,  by  the 
Nicaraguans.  However,  I  was  not  destined  to  pine 
away  my  days  in  devising  plans  to  obtain  an  intro- 
duction to  his  Mosquito  Majesty.  For,  rising  early 
on  the  morning  subsequent  to  my  arrival,  I  start- 
ed out  to  see  the  sights  of  Bluefields.  Follow- 
ing a  broad  path,  leading  to  a  grove  of  cocoa-nut 
trees,  which  shadowed  over  the  river,  tall  and  trim, 
I  met  a  white  man,  of  thin  and  serious  visage,  who 
eyed  me  curiously  for  a  moment,  bowed  slightly, 
and  passed  on  in  silence.  The  distant  air  of  an 
Englishman,  on  meeting  an  American,  is  general- 
ly reciprocated  by  equally  frigid  formality.  So  I 
stared  coldly,  bowed  stiffly,  and  also  passed  on.  I 
smiled  to  think  what  a  deal  of  affectation  had  been 
wasted  on  both  sides,  for  it  would  have  been  un- 
natural if  two  white  men  were  not  glad  to  see  each 
others'  faces  in  a  land  of  ebony  like  this.  So  I  in- 
voluntarily turned  half  round,  just  in  time  to  witness 
a  similar  evolution  on  the  part  of  my  thin  friend.  It 
was  evident  that  his  thouo'hts  were  but  reflections 


62  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

of  my  own,  and  being  the  younger  of  the  two,  I  re- 
traced my  steps,  and  approached  him  with  a  laugh- 
ing "  Good  morning  \"  He  responded  to  my  saluta- 
tion with  an  equally  pregnant  "  Good  morning,"  at 
the  same  time  raising  his  hand  to  his  ear,  in  token 
of  being  hard  of  hearing.  Conversation  opened, 
and  I  at  once  found  I  was  in  the  presence  of  a  man 
of  superior  education,  large  experience,  and  alto- 
gether out  of  place  in  the  Mosquito  metropolis. 
After  a  long  walk,  in  which  we  passed  a  rough 
board  structure,  surmounted  by  a  stumpy  pole, 
supporting  a  small  flag — a  sort  of  hybrid  between 
the  Union  Jack  and  the  "  Stars  and  Stripes" — 
called  by  Mr.  Bell  the  "  House  of  Justice,"  I  ac- 
cepted his  invitation  to  accompany  him  home  to 
coffee. 

His  house  was  a  plain  building  of  rough  boards, 
with  several  small  rooms,  all  opening  into  the  jjrin- 
cipal  apartment,  in  which  I  was  invited  to  sit  down. 
A  sleepy-looking  black  girl,  with  an  enormous  shock 
of  frizzled  hair,  was  sweeping  the  floor,  in  a  languid, 
mechanical  way,  calculated  to  superinduce  yawning, 
even  after  a  brisk  morning  walk.  The  partitions 
were  hung  with  many  prints,  in  which  "  Her  Most 
Gracious  Majesty"  appeared  in  all  the  multiform 
glory  of  steel,  lithograph,  and  chromotint.  A  gun 
or  two,  a  table  in  the  corner,  suj)j)orting  a  confused 
collection  of  books  and  papers,  with  some  ropes, 
boots,  and  iron  grapnels  beneath,  a  few  chairs,  a 
Yankee  clock,  and  a  table,  completed  the  furniture 
and  decoration  of  the  room.     I  am  thus  particular 


MOSQUITO     ROYALTY.  63 

in  this  inventory,  for  reasons  wliicli  will  afterward 
aj)pear. 

At  a  word  from  Mr.  Bell,  the  torpid  black  girl 
disappeared  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  came 
back  with  some  cups  and  a  pot  of  coffee.  I  ob- 
served that  there  were  three  cups,  and  that  my  host 
filled  them  all,  which  I  thought  a  little  singular, 
since  there  were  but  two  of  us.  A  faint,  momen- 
tary susjDicion  crossed  my  mind,  that  the  female 
polypus  stood  in  some  such  relation  to  my  host  as 
to  warrant  her  in  honoring  us  with  her  company. 
But,  instead  of  doing  so,  she  unceremoniously 
pushed  open  a  door  in  the  corner,  and  curtly  ejacu- 
lated to  some  unseen  occupant,  "  Gret  up  !"  There 
was  a  kind  of  querulous  response,  and  directly  a 
thumping  and  muttering,  as  of  some  person  who 
regarded  himself  as  unreasonably  disturbed.  Mean- 
while we  had  each  finished  our  first  cup  of  coffee, 
and  were  proceeding  with  a  second,  when  the  door 
in  the  corner  opened,  and  a  black  boy,  or  what  an 
American  would  be  apt  to  call,  a  "  young  darkey," 
apparently  nineteen  or  twenty  years  old,  shuffled  up 
to  the  table.  He  wore  only  a  shirt,  unbuttoned 
at  the  throat,  and  cotton  pantaloons,  scarcely  but- 
toned at  all.  He  nodded  to  my  entertainer  with  a 
drawling  "  Mornin',  sir  \"  and  sat  down  to  the  third 
cup  of  coffee.  My  host  seemed  to  take  no  notice  of 
him,  and  we  continued  our  conversation.  Soon 
after,  the  sloven  youth  got  up,  took  his  hat,  and 
slowly  walked  down  the  path  to  the  river,  where  I 
afterward  saw  him  washing  his  face  in  the  stream. 


64  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE, 

As  I  was  about  leaving,  Mr.  Bell  kindly  volun- 
teered his  services  to  me,  in  any  way  they  might  he 
made  available.  I  thanked  him,  and  suggested 
that,  having  no  object  to  accomplish  except  to 
"  scare  up"  adventures  and  seek  out  novel  sights,  I 
should  be  obliged  to  him  for  an  introduction  to  the 
king,  at  some  future  day,  after  Antonio  should  have 
succeeded  in  rejuvenating  my  suit  of  ceremony,  now 
rather  rusty  from  saturation  with  salt  water.  He 
smiled  faintly,  and  said,  as  for  that  matter,  there 
need  be  no  delay ;  and,  stepping  to  the  door, 
shouted  to  the  black  youth  by  the  river,  and  beck- 
oned to  him  to  come  up  the  bank.  The  youth  put 
on  his  hat  hurriedly,  and  obeyed.  "  Perhajis  you 
are  not  aware  that  is  the  king  ?"  observed  my 
host,  with  a  contemptuous  smile.  I  made  no  reply, 
as  the  youth  was  at  hand.  He  took  oif  his  hat 
respectfully,  but  there  was  no  introduction  in  the 
case,  beyond  the  quiet  observation,  "George,  this 
gentleman  has  come  to  see  you  ;  sit  down  !" 

I  soon  saw  who  was  the  real  "  kmg"  in  Bluefields. 
"  George,"  I  think,  had  also  a  notion  of  his  own  on 
the  subject,  but  was  kept  in  such  strict  subordina- 
tion that  he  never  manifested  it  by  words.  I  found 
him  shy,  but  not  without  the  elements  of  an  ordi- 
nary English  education,  which  he  had  received  in 
England.  He  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  a  aegro, 
with  hardly  a  perceptible  trace  of  Indian  blood,  and 
would  pass  at  the  South  for  "  a  likely  young  fellow, 
worth  twelve  hundred  dollars  as  a  body-servant  !" 

The  second  day  after  my  arrival  was  Sunday,  and 


GKOG    AND     THE     GOSPEL.  65 

in  the  forenoon,  Mr.  Bell  read  the  service  of  the 
English  Church,  in  the  "  House  of  Justice."  There 
were  perhaps  a  dozen  persons  present,  among  them 
the  king,  who  was  now  dressed  plainly  and  becom- 
ingly, and  who  conducted  himself  with  entire  pro- 
priety. I  could  not  see  that  he  was  treated  with 
any  special  consideration  ;  while  Mr.  Bell  received 
marked  deference. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  although  the  English 
have  had  relations,  more  or  less  intimate,  with  this 
shore,  ever  since  the  pirates  made  it  their  retreat, 
during  the  glorious  days  of  the  buccaneers,  they 
have  never  introduced  the  Gospel.  The  religion  of 
the  "kingdom"  was  declared  by  the  late  king,  in 
his  will,  to  be  "  the  Established  Church  of  Eng- 
land," but  the  Established  Church  has  never  taken 
steps  to  bring  the  natives  within  its  aristocratic 
fold.  Several  dissenting  missionaries  have  made 
attempts  to  settle  on  the  coast,  but  as  the  British 
officers  and  agents  never  favored  them,  they  have 
met  with  no  success.  Besides,  the  Sambos  are 
strongly  attached  to  heathenish  rites,  half  African 
and  half  Indian,  in  wliicli  what  they  call  "  big 
drunk"  is  not  the  least  remarkable  feature.  Some 
years  ago  a  missionary,  named  Pilley,  arrived  at 
Sandy  Bay,  for  the  purpose  of  reclaiming  the  "  lost 
sheep."  A  house  was  found  for  him,  and  he  com- 
menced preaching,  and  for  a  few  Sundays  enticed 
some  of  the  leading  Sambos  to  hear  him,  by  giving 
them  each  a  glass  of  grog.  At  length,  one  Sabbath 
afternoon,   a   considerable   number  of  the   natives 


66  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE, 

attended  to  hear  the  stranger  talk,  and  to  receive 
the  usual  spiritual  consolation.  But  the  demijohn 
of  the  worthy  minister  had  been  exhausted.  He 
nevertheless  sought  to  compensate  for  the  deficiency 
hj  a  more  vehement  display  of  eloquence,  and  for  a 
time  flattered  himself  that  he  was  producing  a  last- 
ing impression.  His  discourse,  however,  was  sud- 
denly interrupted  by  one  of  the  chiefs,  who  rose  and 
indignantly  exclaimed,  "All  preach — no  grog — no 
good  \"  and  with  a  responsive  "  No  good  !"  the 
audience  followed  him,  as  he  stalked  away,  leaving 
the  astonished  preacher  to  finish  his  discourse  to 
two  or  three  Englishmen  present. 

In  Bluefields  the  natives  are  kejjt  in  more  re- 
straint than  elsewhere  on  the  coast  ;  but  even  here 
it  has  been  found  impossible  to  suppress  their  tra- 
ditional practices,  especially  when  connected  with 
their  superstitions.  My  venerable  friend  Hodgson, 
after  "service,"  informed  me  that  a  funeral  was  to 
take  place,  at  a  small  settlement,  a  few  miles  up 
the  river,  and  volunteered  to  escort  me  thither  in 
his  pitpan,  if  Antonio  would  undertake  to  do  the 
paddling.  The  suggestion  was  very  acceptable, 
and  after  a  very  frugal  dinner,  on  roast  fish  and 
boiled  plantains,  we  set  out.  But  we  were  not 
alone  ;  we  found  dozens  of  pitpans  starting  for  the 
same  destination,  filled  with  men  and  women.  It  is 
impossible  to  imagine  a  more  picturesque  spectacle 
than  these  light  and  graceful  boats,  with  occuj^ants 
dressed  in  the  brightest  colors,  darting  over  the 
placid  waters  of  the  river,    now  gay  in  the  sun- 


GOING     TO     A     F  U  N  E  K  A  L . 


67 


light,  and  anon  sobered  in  the  shadows  of  the  trees 
which  studded  the  banks.  There  was  a  keen 
strife  among  the  rowers,  who,  amid  shouts  and 
screeches,  in  which  both  men  and  women  joined, 
exerted  themselves  to  the  utmost.     Even  Antonio 

smiled  at  the  scene, 
but  it  was  half  con- 
temptuously, for  he 
maintained,  in  re- 
spect to  these  mon- 
grels, the  reserve  of 
conscious  superiority. 


^y':ss 


jfe&,  ^4 


GOING     TO    THE     FUKERAL. 


Less  than  an  hour  brought  us  in  view  of  a  little 
collection  of  huts,  grouped  on  the  shore,  under  the 
shadoAv  of  a  cluster  of  palm-trees,  which,  from  a 
distance,  presented  a  picture  of  entrancing  beauty. 
A  large  group  of  natives  had  already  collected  on 
the  shore,  and,  as  we  came  near,  we  heard  the 
monotonous  beating  of  the  native   drum,  or  turn- 


68  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE, 

turn,  relieved  by  an  occasional  low,  deep  blast  on  a 
large  hollow  pipe,  wbich  sounded  more  like  the  dis- 
tant bellowing  of  an  ox  than  any  thing  else  I  ever 
heard.  In  the  pauses,  we  distinguished  suppressed 
wails,  which  continued  for  a  minute  perhaps,  and 
were  then  followed  by  the  monotonous  drum  and 
droning  pipe.  The  descriptions  of  similar  scenes  in 
Central  Africa,  given  to  us  by  ClajDperton  and 
Mungo  Park,  recurred  to  me  with  wonderful  vivid- 
ness, and  left  the  impression  that  the  ceremonies 
going  on  were  rather  African  than  American  in 
their  origin. 

On  advancing  to  the  huts,  and  the  centre  of  the 
grouj),  I  found  a  small  pitpan  cut  in  half,  in  one 
part  of  which,  wraj)ped  in  cotton  cloth,  was  the 
dead  body  of  a  man  of  middle  age,  much  emaciat- 
ed, and  horribly  disfigured  by  what  is  called  the 
biilpis,  a  species  of  syphilitic  leprosy,  which  is  al- 
most universal  on  the  coast,  and  which,  with  the 
aid  of  rum,  has  already  reduced  the  population  to 
one  half  what  it  was  twenty  years  ago.  This  dis- 
gusting disease  is  held  in  such  terror  by  the  Indians 
of  the  interior,  that  they  have  prohibited  all  sexual 
relations,  between  their  people  and  the  Sambos  of 
the  coast,  under  the  penalty  of  death. 

Around  the  pitpan  were  stationed  a  number  of 
women,  with  palm  branches,  to  keep  off  the  flies, 
which  swarmed  around  the  already  festering  corpse. 
Their  frizzled  hair  started  from  their  heads  like  the 
snakes  on  the  brow  of  the  fabled  Gorgon,  and  they 
swayed  their  bodies  to  and  fro,  keej)ing  a  kind  of 


*A     MOSQUITO     BURIAL.  71 

tread-mill  step  to  the  measure  of  the  doleful  turn- 
turn.  With  the  exception  of  the  men  who  beat  the 
drum  and  blew  the  pipe,  these  women  appeared  to 
be  the  only  persons  at  all  interested  in  the  pro- 
ceedings. The  rest  were  standing  in  groups,  or 
squatted  at  the  roots  of  the  palm-trees.  I  was  be- 
ginning to  get  tired  of  the  performance,  when,  with 
a  suddenness  which  startled  even  the  women  around 
the  corpse,  four  men,  entirely  naked  excepting  a 
cloth  \%Tapped  round  their  loins,  and  daubed  over 
with  variously-colored  clays,  rushed  from  the  inte- 
rior of  one  of  the  huts,  and  hastily  fastening  a 
piece  of  rope  to  the  half  of  the  pitpan  containing 
the  corpse,  dashed  away  towards  the  woods,  drag- 
ging it  after  them,  like  a  sledge.  The  women  with 
the  Gorgon  heads,  and  the  men  with  the  drum  and 
trumpet,  followed  them  on  the  run,  each  keeping 
time  on  his  respective  instrument.  The  spectators 
all  hurried  after,  in  a  confused  mass,  while  a  big 
negro,  catching  up  the  remaining  half  of  the  pit- 
pan,  placed  it  on  his  head,  and  trotted  behind  the 
crowd. 

The  men  bearing  the  corpse  entered  the  woods, 
and  the  mass  of  the  spectators,  jostling  each  other 
in  the  narrow  path,  kept  up  the  same  rapid  pace. 
At  the  distance  of  perhaps  two  hundred  yards, 
there  was  an  open  place,  covered  with  low,  dank, 
tangled  underbush,  still  wet  from  the  rain  of  the 
preceding  night,  which,  although  unmarked  by  any 
sign,  I  took  to  be  the  burial  place.  When  I  came 
up,  the  half  of  the  pitpan  containing  the  body  had 


72  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORe! 

been  put  in  a  shallow  trench.  The  other  half  was 
then  inverted  over  it.  The  Gorgon-headed  women 
threw  in  their  palm-branches,  and  the  painted 
negroes  rajoidly  filled  in  the  earth.  While  this  was 
going  on,  some  men  were  collecting  sticks  and 
palm-branches,  with  which  a  little  hut  was  hastily 
built  over  the  grave.  In  this  was  j)laced  an  earthen 
vessel,  filled  with  water.  The  turtle-spear  of  the 
dead  man  was  stuck  deep  in  the  ground  at  his  head, 
and  a  fantastic  fellow,  with  an  old  musket,  dis- 
charged three  or  four  rounds  over  the  spot. 

This  done,  the  entire  crowd  started  back  in  the 
same  manner  it  had  come.  No  sooner,  however, 
did  the  painted  men  reach  the  village,  than,  seizing 
some  heavy  machetes,  they  commenced  cutting  down 
the  palm-trees  which  stood  around  the  hut  that 
had  been  occuj)ied  by  the  dead  Sambo.  It  was 
done  silently,  in  the  most  hasty  manner,  and  when 
finished,  they  ran  down  to  the  river,  and  plunged 
out  of  sight  in  the  water — a  land  of  lustration  or 
jDurifying  rite.  They  remained  in  the  water  a  few 
moments,  then  hurried  back  to  the  hut  from  which 
they  had  issued,  and  disappeared. 

This  savage  and  apparently  unmeaning  ceremony 
was  explained  to  me  by  Hodgson,  as  follows  : 
Death  is  supposed  by  the  Sambos  to  result  from 
the  influences  of  a  demon,  called  Wtilasha,  who, 
ogre-like,  feeds  upon  the  bodies  of  the  dead.  To 
rescue  the  corpse  from  this  fate,  it  is  necessary  to 
lull  the  demon  to  sleep,  and  then  steal  away  the 
bodv  and  burv  it,  after  which  it  is  safe.     To  this 


MOSQUITO     SUPERSTITIONS.  73 

end  they  bring  in  the  aid  of  the  drowsy  drum  and 
droning  pipe,  and  the  women  go  through  a  slow 
and  soothing  dance.  Meanwhile,  in  the  recesses  of 
some  hut,  where  they  cannot  be  seen  by  Wulasha, 
a  certain  number  of  men  carefully  disguise  them- 
selves, so  that  they  may  not  afterwards  be  recog- 
nized and  tormented  ;  and  when  the  demon  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  lulled  to  sleep,  they  seize  the 
moment  to  bury  the  body.  I  could  not  ascertain 
any  reason  for  cutting  down  the  palm-trees,  except 
that  it  had  always  been  practiced  by  their  ances- 
tors. As  the  palm-tree  is  of  slow  growth,  it  has  re- 
sulted, from  this  custom,  that  they  have  nearly  dis- 
appeared from  some  parts  of  the  coast.  I  could 
not  learn  that  it  was  the  habit  to  plant  a  cocoa-nut 
tree  upon  the  birth  of  a  child,  as  in  some  2:)arts  of 
Africa,  where  the  tree  receives  a  common  name  with 
the  infant,  and  the  annual  rings  on  its  trunk  mark 
his  age. 

If  the  water  disappears  from  the  earthen  vessel 
placed  on  the  grave, — which,  as  the  ware  is  porous, 
it  seldom  fails  to  do  in  the  course  of  a  few  days, — it 
is  taken  as  evidence  that  it  has  been  consumed  by 
the  dead  man,  and  that  he  has  escaped  the  maw  of 
Wulasha.  This  ascertained,  preparations  are  at 
once  made  for  what  is  called  a  Seekroe,  or  Feast  of 
the  Dead — an  orgie  which  I  afterwards  witnessed 
higher  up  the  coast,  and  which  will  be  described  in 
due  course. 

The  negroes  brought  originally  from  Jamaica,  as 
also  most  of  their  descendants,  hold  these  barbar- 

4 


74  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

ous  practices  in  contempt,  and  bury  their  dead,  as 
they  say,  "English-gentleman  fashion."  But  while 
these  practices  are  discountenanced  and  prohibited 
in  Bluefields  proper,  they  are,  nevertheless,  univer- 
sal elsewhere  on  the  Mosquito  Shore. 

I  cannot  omit  mentioning  here,  that  I  paid  a 
visit  both  to  the  establishment  and  the  burial-place 
of  the  ill-fated  Prussian  colony.  Many  of  the 
houses,  now  rotting  down,  had  been  brought  out 
from  Europe,  and  all  around  them  were  wheels  of 
carts  falling  in  pieces,  harnesses  dropping  apart, 
and  plows  and  instruments  of  cultivation  rusting 
away,  or  slowly  burying  themselves  in  the  earth. 
They  told  a  sad  story  of  ignorance  on  the  part  of 
the  projectors  of  the  establishment,  and  of  the  dis- 
appointments and  sufferings  of  their  victims.  The 
folly  of  attempting  to  plant  an  agricultural  colony, 
from  the  north  of  Europe,  on  low,  murky,  tropical 
shores,  is  inconceivable.  Again  and  again  the  at- 
tempt has  been  made,  on  this  coast,  and  as  often  it 
has  terminated  in  disaster  and  death.  It  was  tried 
by  the  French  at  Tehuantepec  and  Cape  Gracias  ; 
by  the  English  at  Vera  Paz  and  Black  Kiver  ;  and 
by  the  Belgians  and  Prussians  at  Santo  Tomas  and 
Bluefields.  In  no  instance  did  these  estabhshments 
survive  a  second  year,  nor  in  a  single  instance  did  a 
tenth  of  the  poor  colonists  escape  the  grave.  The 
Prussians  at  Bluefields  suffered  fearfully.  At  one 
time,  within  four  months  after  their  arrival,  out  of 
more  than  a  hundred,  there  were  not  enough  retain- 
ing  their  health   to  bury  the  dead,   much  less  to 


AN     ILL-FATED     COLONY.  75 

attend  to  the  sick.  The  natives,  jealous  of  the 
strangers,  would  neither  assist  nor  come  near  them, 
and  absolutely  refused  to  sell  them  the  scanty  food 
requisite  for  their  subsistence.  This  feeling  was 
rather  encouraged  than  otherwise,  by  the  traders  on 
the  coast,  who  desired  to  retain  the  monoj)oly  of 
trade,  as  they  had  always  done  a  preponderance  of 
influence  among  the  natives.  They  ]3rocured  the 
revocation  of  the  grant  which  had  been  made  to 
the  Messrs.  Shepherd  of  San  Juan,  from  whom  the 
Prussians  had  purchased  a  doubtful  title,  and 
threatened  the  stricken  strangers  with  forcible  ex- 
pulsion. Death,  however,  soon  relieved  them  from  ' 
taking  overt  measures  ;  and,  at  the  time  of  my 
visit,  two  or  thi-ee  haggard  wretches,  whose  languid 
blue  eyes  and  flaxen  hair  contrasted  painfully  with 
the  blotched  visages  of  the  brutal  Sambos,  were  all 
that  remained  of  the  unfortunate  Prussian  colony. 
The  burying  place  was  a  small  opening  in  the 
bush,  where  rank  vines  sweltered  over  the  sunken 
graves,  a  spot  reeking  with  miasmatic  damps,  from 
which  I  retreated  with  a  shudder.  I  could  wish  no 
worse  punishment  to  the  originators  of  that  fatal, 
not  to  say,  criminal  enterprise,  than  that  they 
should  stand  there,  as  I  stood,  that  Conscience 
might  hiss  in  their  ears,  "  Behold  thy  work  !" 


MADE  many  inquiries  in  Blue- 
fields,  in  order  to  decide  on  my  fu- 
ture movements,  to  all  of  which  Mr. 
Bell  gave  me  most  intelligent  an- 
swers. At  first,  I  proposed  to  ascend  the  Bluefields 
river,  which  takes  its  rise  in  the  mountainous  district 
of  Segovia  in  Nicaragua,  and  which  is  reported  to  be 
navigable,  for  canoes,  to  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  great  lakes  of  that  State,  from  which  it  is  only 
separated  by  a  narrow  range  of  mountains.  Upon 
its  banks  dwell  several  tribes  of  pure  Indians,  the 
Cookras,  now  but  few  in  number,  and  the  Kamas, 
a  large  and  docile  tribe.  Several  of  the  latter  visit- 
ed Bluefields  while  I  was  there,  bringing  down 
dories  and  pitpans  rudely  blocked  out,  which  are 
afterwards  finished  by  persons  expert  in  that  art. 
They  generally  speak  Spanish,  but  I  could  not  learn 
from  them  that  their  country  was  in  any  respect  re- 


uPjANDaway!  77 

markable,  or  that  it  held  out  any  prospect  of  com- 
pensation for  a  visit,  unless  it  were  an  indefinite 
amount  of  hunger  and  hard  work.  So,  although  I 
had  purchased  a  canoe,  and  made  other  prepara- 
tions for  ascending  the  river,  I  determined  to  pro- 
ceed northward  along  the  coast,  and,  embarking  in 
some  turtling  vessel  from  Cape  Gracias,  proceed  to 
San  Juan,  and  penetrate  into  the  interior  by  the 
river  of  the  same  name. 

This,  I  ascertained,  was  all  the  more  easy  to  ac- 
complish, since  the  whole  Mosquito  shore  is  lined 
with  lagoons,  only  separated  from  the  sea  by  narrow 
strips  of  land,  and  so  connected  with  each  other  as 
to  afford  an  interior  navigation,  for  canoes,  from 
Bluefields  to  Gracias.  So,  procuring  the  additional 
services  of  a  young  Poyas  or  Paya  Indian,  who  had 
been  left  from  a  trading  schooner,  I  bade  "  His 
Mosquito  Majesty"  and  his  governor  good-by,  took 
an  affectionate  farewell  of  old  Hodgson,  and,  with 
Antonio,  sailed  away  to  the  northern  extremity  of 
the  lagoon,  having  spent  exactly  a  week  in  Blue- 
fields. 

It  was  a  bright  morning,  and  our  little  sail,  filled 
with  the  fresh  sea-breeze,  carried  us  gayly  through 
the  water.  Antonio  carefully  steered  the  boat,  and 
my  Poyer  boy  sat,  like  a  bronze  figure-head,  in  the 
bow,  while  I  reclined  in  the  centre,  luxuriously 
smoking  a  cigar.  The  white  herons  flapped  lazily 
around  us,  and  flocks  of  screaming  curlews  whirled 
rapidly  over  our  heads.  I  could  scarcely  compre- 
hend the  novel  reality  of  my  position.     The  Robin- 


78  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

son  Crusoe-isli  feeling  of  my  youth  came  back  in 
all  of  its  freshness  ;  I  had  my  own  boat,  and  for 
companions  a  descendant  of  an  aboriginal  prince, 
the  possessor  of  a  mysterious  talisman,  devotedly 
attached  to  me,  half  friend,  half  protector,  and  a 
second  strange  Indian,  from  some  unknown  interior, 
silent  as  the  unwilling  genii  whom  the  powerful 
spell  of  Solyman  kept  in  obedience  to  the  weird 
necromancers  of  the  East.  It  was  a  strange  posi- 
tion and  fellowship  for  one  who,  scarcely  three 
months  before,  had  carefully  cultivated  the  friendly 
interest  of  Mr.  Sly,  with  sinister  designs  on  the 
plethoric  treasury  of  the  Art  Union,  in  New  York  ! 

I  gave  myself  up  to  the  delicious  novelty,  and 
that  sense  of  absolute  independence  which  only  a 
complete  separation  from  the  moving  world  can  in- 
spire, and  passed  the  entire  day  in  a  trance  of 
dreamy  delight.  I  subsequently  passed  many  sim- 
ilar days,  but  this  stands  out  in  the  long  perspec- 
tive, as  one  of  unalloyed  happiness,  "  'Twas  worth 
ten  years  of  common  life,"  and  neither  age  nor  suf- 
fering can  efface  its  bright  impress  from  the  crowd- 
ed tablet  of  my  memory  ! 

It  was  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when 
we  reached  the  northern  extremity  of  the  lagoon, 
at  a  place  called  the  Haulover,  from  the  circum- 
stance that,  to  avoid  going  outside  in  the  open  sea, 
it  is  customary  for  the  natives  to  drag  their  canoes 
across  the  narrow  neck  of  sand  which  separates 
Bluefields  from  the  next  northern  or  Pearl  Kay 
Lagoon.     Occasionally,  after  long  and  heavy  winds 


LIFE     ON     THE     LAGOONS.  79 

from  the  eastward,  the  waters  are  forced  into  the 
lagoons,  so  as  to  overflow  the  belt  of  land  whicli 
divides  them,  when  the  navigation  is  uninter- 
rupted. 

In  order  to  he  able  to  renew  our  voyage  earh 
next  morning,  our  few  eflfects  and  stores  were  camed 
across  the  portage,  over  which  om-  united  strength 
was  sufficient  to  drag  the  dory,  without  difficulty. 
All  this  was  done  with  prompt  alacrity  on  the  part 
of  Antonio  and  the  Poyer  boy,  who  would  not  allow 
me  to  exert  myself  in  the  slightest.  The  transit 
was  effected  in  less  than  an  hour,  and  then  we  pro- 
ceeded to  make  our  camp  for  the  night,  on  the 
beach.  Our  little  sail,  supported  over  the  canoe  by 
poles,  answered  the  purpose  of  a  tent.  And  as  for 
food,  without  going  fifty  yards  from  our  fire,  I  shot 
half  a  dozen  curlews,  which,  when  broiled,  are  cer- 
tainly a  passable  bird.  Meanwhile,  the  Poyer  boy, 
carefully  wading  in  the  lagoon,  with  a  light  spear, 
had  struck  several  fish,  of  varieties  known  as  snool' 
and  grouper  ;  and  Antonio  had  collected  a  bag  full 
of  oysters,  of  which  there  appeared  to  be  vast 
banks,  covered  only  by  a  foot  or  two  of  water. 
They  were  not  pearl  oysters,  as  might  be  inferred 
from  the  name  of  the  lagoon,  but  similar  to  those 
found  on  our  own  shores,  except  smaller,  and  grow- 
ing in  clusters  of  ten  or  a  dozen  each.  Eaten  with 
that  relishing  sauce,  known  among  travelers  as 
''  hunger  sauce,"  I  found  them  something  more 
than  excellent,— they  were  delicious. 

While  I  opened  oysters,  by  way  of  helping  my- 


80  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

self  to  my  princely  first  course,  the  Indians  busied 
themselves  with  the  fish  and  hhds.  I  watched  their 
proceedings  with  no  little  interest,  and  as  their 
mode  of  baking  fish  has  never  been  set  forth  in  the 
cookery  books,  I  give  it  for  the  benefit  of  the  gas- 
tronomic world  in  general,  which,  I  take  it,  is  not 
above  learning  a  good  thing,  even  from  a  Poyer 
Indian  boy.  A  hole  having  been  dug  in  the  sand, 
it  was  filled  with  dry  branches,  which  were  set  on 
fire.  In  a  few  minutes  the  fire  subsided  in  a  bed  of 
glowing  coals.  The  largest  of  the  fish,  a  grouper, 
weighing  perhaps  five  pounds,  had  been  cleaned 
and  stuffed  with  pieces  of  the  smaller  fish,  a  few 
oysters,  some  sliced  plantains,  and  some  slips  of  the 
bark  of  the  pimento  or  pepper-tree.  Duly  sprink- 
led with  salt,  it  was  carefully  wrapped  in  the  broad 
green  leaves  of  the  plantain,  and  the  coals  raked 
open,  put  in  the  centre  of  the  glowing  embers,  with 
which  it  was  rapidly  covered.  Half  an  hour  after- 
ward, by  which  time  I  began  to  believe  it  had  been 
reduced  to  ashes,  the  bed  was  raked  open  again  and 
the  fish  taken  out.  The  outer  leaves  of  the  wrapper 
were  burned,  but  the  inner  folds  were  entire,  and 
when  they  were  unrolled,  like  the  cerements  of  a 
mummy,  they  revealed  the  fish,  "  cooked  to  a 
charm,"  and  preserving  all  the  rich  juices  absorbed 
in  the  flesh,  which  would  have  been  carried  off  by 
the  heat,  in  the  ordinary  modes  of  cooking.  I  after- 
ward adopted  the  same  process  with  nearly  every 
variety  of  large  game,  and  found  it,  like  patent 
medicines,  of  "  universal  application."      Commend 


NIGHT    UNDER    THE    TKOPICS  81 

me  to  a  young-  warce  "  done  brown"  in  lilce  nmnner. 
as  a  disli  fit  for  a  king.     But  of  that  anon. 

By  and  by  the  night  came  on,  but  not  as  it  comes 
in  our  northern  hxtitudes.  Night,  under  the  tropics, 
falls  like  a  curtain.  The  sun  goes  down  with  a 
glow,  intense,  but  brief.  There  are  no  soft  and  lin- 
gering twilight  adieus,  and  stars  lighting  up  one  by 
one.  They  come,  a  laughing  group,  trooping  over 
the  skies,  like  bright-eyed  children  relieved  from 
school.  Reflected  in  the  lagoon,  they  seemed  to 
chase  each  other  in  amorous  play,  printing  spark- 
ling kisses  on  each  other's  luminous  lips.  The  low 
shores,  lined  with  the  heavy-foliaged  mangroves, 
looked  like  a  frame  of  massive,  antique  carving, 
around  the  vast  mirror  of  the  lagoon,  across  whose 
surface  streamed  a  silvery  shaft  of  light  from  the 
evening  star,  palpitating  like  a  young  bride,  low  in 
the  horizon.  Then  there  were  whispered  "  voices 
of  the  night,"  the  drowsy  winds  talking  themselves 
to  sleep  among  the  trees,  and  the  little  ripples  of  the 
lagoon  pattering  with  liquid  feet  along  the  sandy 
shore.  The  distant  monotonous  beatings  of  the 
sea,  and  an  occasional  sullen  plunge  of  some  ma- 
rine animal,  which  served  to  open  momentarily  the 
eyelids  drooping  in  slumbrous  sympathy  with  the 
scene — these  were  the  elements  which  entranced 
me  during  the  long,  delicious  hours  of  my  first 
evening,  alone  with  Nature,  on  the  Mosquito 
Shore  ! 

My  dreams  that  night  so  blended  themselves 
with  the  reality,  that   I   could    not   now  separate 


82  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

them  if  I  would,  and  to  this  day  I  hardly  know  if 
I  slept  at  all.  So  completely  did  my  soul  go  out, 
and  melt,  and  harmonize  itself  with  the  scene,  that 
I  began  to  comprehend  the  Oriental  doctrine  of 
emanations  and  absorptions,  which  teaches  that,  as 
the  body  of  man  springs  from  the  earth,  and  after 
a  brief  space,  mingles  again  with  it  ;  so  his  soul, 
part  of  the  Great  Spirit  of  the  Universe,  flutters 
away  like  a  dove  from  its  nest,  only  to  return,  after 
a  weary  flight,  to  fold  its  wings  and  once  more  melt 
away  in  Nature's  immortal  heart,  and  uncreated  and 
eternal  essence. 

Before  the  dawn  of  day,  the  ever-watchful  Anto- 
nio had  prepared  the  indispensable  cup  of  coffee, 
which  is  the  tropical  specific  against  the  malignant 
night-damps  ;  and  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  shot 
over  the  trees  only  to  fiill  on  our  sail,  bellying  with 
the  fresh  and  invigorating  sea-breeze.  We  laid  our 
course  for  the  mouth  of  a  river  called  Wawashaan 
Qiwas  or  ivass,  in  the  dialect  of  the  interior,  signi- 
fying water),  which  enters  the  lagoon,  about  twenty 
miles  to  the  northward  of  the  Haulover.  Here  we 
were  told  there  was  a  settlement,  which  I  deter- 
mined to  visit.  As  the  day  advanced,  the  breeze 
subsided,  and  we  made  slow  progress.  So  we  pad- 
dled to  the  shore  of  one  of  the  numerous  islands  in 
the  lagoon,  to  avoid  the  hot  sun  and  await  the 
freshening  of  the  breeze  in  the  afternoon.  The 
island  on  which  we  landed  appeared  to  be  higher 
than  any  of  the  others,  and  was  moreover  rendered 
doubly   attractive  by  a   number  of   tall  cocoa-mU 


CLIMBING    AFTER    COCOAS.  88 

palms,  that  clustered  near  the  beach.  We  ran  our 
boat  ashore  in  a  little  cove,  where  there  were  traces 
of  fires,  and  other  indications  that  it  was  a  favor- 
ite stopi^ing-place  with  the  natives.  A  narrow  trail 
led  inward  to  the  palm-trees.  Leaving  the  Poyer 
boy  with  the  canoe,  Antonio  and  myself  followed 
the  blind  path,  and  soon  came  to  an  open  space 
covered  with  plantain-trees,  now  much  choked  with 
bushes,  but  heavily  laden  with  fruit.  The  palms, 
too,  were  clustering  with  nuts,  of  which  we  could 
not,  of  course,  neglect  to  take  in  a  supply.  Near 
the  trees  we  found  the  foundations  of  a  house,  after 
the  European  plan,  and,  not  far  from  it,  one  or  two 
rough  grave-stones,  on  which  inscriptions  had  been 
rudely  traced  ;  but  they  were  now  too  much  oblit- 
erated to  be  read.  I  could  only  make  out  the  figure 
of  a  cross  on  one  of  them,  and  the  name  "  San 
Andres,"  which  is  an  island  oif  the  coast,  where  it  is 
probable  the  occupant  of  tfiis  lonely  grave  was  born. 
To  obtain  the  cocoa-ni^jts,  which  otherwise  could 
only  have  been  got  at  by  cutting  down  and  destroy- 
ing the  trees,  Antonio  prepared  to  climb  after 
them.  He  had  brought  a  kind  of  sack  of  coarse 
netting,  which  he  tied  about  his  neck.  He  next 
cut  a  long  section  of  one  of  the  numerous  tough 
vines  which  abound  in  the  tropics,  with  which  he 
commenced  braiding  a  large  hoop  around  one  of  the 
trees.  After  this  was  done,  he  slipped  it  over  his 
head  and  down  to  his  waist,  gave  it  a  few  trials  of 
strength,  and  then  began  his  ascent,  literally  walk- 
ing up  the  tree.     It  was  a  curious  feat,  and  worth  a 


84 


THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 


description.  Leaning  back  in  this  lioop,  he  planted 
his  feet  firmly  against  the  trunk,  clinging  to  which, 
first  with  one  hand,  and 
then  with  the  other,  he 
worked  up  the  hoop,  tak- 
ing a  step  with  every  up- 
ward movement.  Nothing 
loth  to  exhibit  his  skill,  in 
a  minute  he  was  sixty  feet 
from  the  ground,  leaning 
back  securely  in  his  hoop, 
and  filling  his  sack  with  the 
nuts.  This  done,  he  swung 
his  load  over  his  shoulders, 
grasped  the  tree  in  his 
arms,  let  the  hoop  fall,  and 
slid  rapidly  to  the  ground. 
The  whole  occupied  less 
time  than  I  have  consumed 
in  writing  an  ac- 
count of  it. 

Loaded  with  nuts, 
plantains,  and  a 
species  of  anona 
called  soursop,  we 
returned  to  the 
boat,  where  the  wa- 
ter, with  which  the 
green  cocoa-nuts  are 
fiUed,  tempered  with  a  little  Jamaica  rum,  2^ci'^(^ 
a   matar    los   animalicos,   "to  kill  the   animalcu- 


%■ 


CLIMBING   AFTER    COCOAS. 


THE     MANGROVE. 


85 


Ise,"  as  the  S]3anish  say,  made  a  cooling  and  re- 
freshing beverage. 

In  the  afternoon  we  again  embarked,  and  before 
dark  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Wawashaan,  which 
looked  like  a  narrow  arm  of  the  lagoon,  but  which, 
we  found,  when  we  entered,  had  considerable  cur- 
rent, rendering  necessary  a  brisk  use  of  our  paddles. 


The  banks  near  the  lagoon, 
were  low,  and  the  ground  back 
of  them  apparently  swampy, 
MANGROTE  SWAMP  aud  dcuscly  covered  with  man- 
grove trees.  This  tree  is  universal  on  the  Mosquito 
coast,  lining  the  shores  of  the  lagoons  and  rivers, 
as  high  up  as  the  salt  water  reaches.  It  is  unlike 
any  other  tree  in  the  world.  Peculiar  to  lands  over- 
flowed by  the  tides,  its  trunk  starts  at  a  height  of 
from  four  to  eight  feet  from  the  ground,  supported 


86  THE     MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

by  a  radiating  series  of  smooth,  reddish-brown  roots, 
for  all  the  world  like  the  prongs  of  an  inverted  can- 
delabrum. These  roots  interlock  with  each  other  in 
such  a  manner  that  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  pene- 
trate between  them,  except  by  laboriously  cutting 
one's  way.  And  even  then  an  active  man  would 
hardly  be  able  to  advance  twenty  feet  in  a  day.  The 
trunk  is  generally  tall  and  straight,  the  branches 
numerous,  but  not  long,  and  the  leaves  large  and 
thick  ;  on  the  upper  surface  of  a  dark,  glistening, 
unfading  green,  while  below,  of  the  downy,  whitish 
tint  of  the  poplar-leaf.  Lining  the  shore  in  dense 
masses,  the  play  of  light  on  the  leaves,  as  they  are 
turned  upward  by  the  wind,  has  the  glad,  billowy 
effect  of  a  field  of  waving  grain.  The  timber  of  the 
mangrove  is  sodden  and  heavy,  and  of  no  great 
utility  ;  but  its  bark  is  astringent,  and  excellent  for 
tanning.  Its  manner  of  j)ropagation  is  remarkable. 
The  seed  consists  of  a  Ibng  bean-like  stem,  about 
the  length  and  shape  of  a  dipped  candle,  but  thin- 
ner. It  hangs  from  the  upper  limbs  in  thousands, 
and,  when  perfect,  drops,  point  downward,  erect  in 
the  mud,  where  it  speedily  takes  root,  and  shoots 
up  to  tangle  still  more  the  already  tangled  man- 
grove-swamp. Myriads  of  small  oysters,  called  the 
mangrove-oysters,  cling  to  the  roots,  among  which 
active  little  crabs  find  shelter  from  the  pursuit  of 
their  hereditary  enemies,  the  long-legged  and 
sharp-billed  cranes,  who  have  a  j^rodigious  hank- 
ering after  tender  and  infantile  shell-fish. 
4ffhe  Mosquito  settlement  is  some  miles  up  the 


SOLDIER-CRABS.  87 

river,  and  we  were  unable  to  reach,  it  before  dark  ;  so, 
on  arriving  at  a  spot  where  the  ground  became  higher, 
and  an  open  space  appeared  on  the  bank,  we  came 
to  a  halt  for  the  night.  We  had  this  time  no  fish 
for  supper,  but,  instead,  a  couple  of  quams,  a  spe- 
cies of  small  turkey,  which  is  not  a  handsome  bird, 
but,  nevertheless,  delicate  food.  Many  of  these 
flew  down  to  the  shore,  as  night  came  on,  selecting 
the  tops  of  the  highest,  overhanging  trees  for  their 
roosting-places,-  and  oflering  fine  marks  for  my 
faithful  double-barreled  gun. 

The  mosquitoes  proving  rather  troublesome  at 
the  edge  of  the  water,  I  abandoned  the  canoe,  and 
spreading  my  blanket  on  the  most  elevated  portion 
of  the  bank,  near  the  fire,  was  soon  asleep.  Before 
midnight,  however,  I  was  roused  by  the  sensation 
of  innumerable  objects,  with  sharp  claws  and  cold 
bodies,  crawling  over  me.  I  leaped  up  in  alarm, 
and  hastily  shook  off  the  invaders.  I  heard  a  crack- 
ling, rustling  noise,  as  of  rain  on  dry  leaves,  all 
around  me,  and  by  the  dim  light  I  saw  that  the 
ground  was  alive  with  crawling  things,  moving  in 
an  unbroken  column  toward  the  river.  I  felt  them 
in  the  pockets  of  my  coat,  and  hanging  to  my 
skirts.  My  nocturnal  interview  with  the  turtles  at 
"  El  Eoncador"  recurred  to  me,  and  Coleridge's 
ghastly  lines — 

"  The  very  sea  did  rot — 


Oh  Christ,  that  this  should  be  ! — 
And  shmy  things  did  crawl  with  legs 
Upon  the  slimy  seal" 


88  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

Half  fearing  that  it  might  be  my  own  disordered 
fancy,  I  shouted  to  Antonio,  who,  quick  as  light,  was 
at  my  side.  He  stirred  up  the  fire,  and  laughed 
outright  !  We  had  been  invaded  by  an  army  of 
soldier-crabs,  moving  down  from  the  high  back- 
grounds. Antonio  had  selected  his  bed  for  the 
night  nearest  the  river,  and  the  fire,  dividing  the 
host,  had  protected  him,  while  it  had  turned  a  double 
column  upon  me.  I  could  not  myself  help  laughing 
at  the  incident,  which  certainly  had  the  quality 
of  novelty.  I  watched  the  moving  legion  for  an 
hour,  but  there  was  no  perceptible  decrease  in  the 
numbers.  So  I  laid  down  again  by  the  side  of  An- 
tonio, and  slept  quietly  until  morning,  when  there 
were  no  more  crabs  to  be  seen,  nor  a  trace  of  them, 
except  that  the  ground  had  been  minutely  punctured 
all  over,  by  their  sharp,  multitudinous  claws. 

It  was  rather  late  when  we  started  up  the  river. 
We  had  not  proceeded  ftir  before  we  came  to  an 
open  space,  where  there  were  some  rude  huts,  with 
canoes  drawn  up  on  the  bank,  in  front.  A  few 
men,  nearly  naked,  shouted  at  us  as  we  passed,  in- 
quiring, in  broken  English,  what  we  had  to  sell, 
evidently  thinking  that  the  white  man  could  have 
no  purpose  there  unless  to  trade.  We  passed 
other  huts  at  intervals,  which,  however,  had  no 
signs  of  cultivation  around  them,  except  a  few 
palm  and  plantain-trees,  and  an  occasional  small 
patch  of  yucas.  The  mangroves  had  now  disap- 
peared, and  the  banks  began  to  look  inviting,  cov- 
ered, as  they  were,  with  large  trees,  including  the 


RIVER   W  A  WASH  A  AN.  89 

caoba,  or  mahogany,  and  the  gigantic  ceiba,  all 
loaded  down  with  vines.  Thousands  of  parrots 
passed  over,  with  their  peeiiliar  short,  heavy  flut- 
ter, and  loud,  querulous  note.  In  the  early  morn- 
ing, and  toward  night,  they  keep  up  the  most  ve- 
hement chattering,  all  talking  and  none  listening, 
after  the  manner  of  a  Woman's  Rights  Convention. 
There  were  also  gaudy  macaws,  which  floated  past 
like  fragments  of  a  rainbow.  In  common  with  the 
parrots,  they  always  go  in  pairs,  and  when  one  is 
found  alone,  he  is  always  silent  and  sad,  and  acts 
as  if  he  were  a  lone  widower,  and  meditated  sui- 
cide. 

On  the  occasional  sandy  reaches,  we  saw  groups 
of  the  Roseate  Spoonbills,  with  their  splendid  plum- 
age. The  whole  body  is  rose-col- 
ored ;  but  the  wings,  toward  the 
shoulders,  and  the  feathers  around 
the  base  of  the  neck,  are  of  a 
bright  scarlet,  deepening  to  blood- 
red.  But  they  form  no  exception 
to  the  law  of  compensations — in 
mechanics,  called  equilibrium,  and 
in  mathematics  equations,  since,  '■™^  spoonbill." 
while  beautiful  in  plumage,  they  are  sinfully  ugly 
in  shape.  And  I  could  not  help  fancying,  when  I 
saw  them  standing  silent  and  melancholy  on  snags, 
contemplating  themselves  in  the  water,  that,  as  with 
some  other  kinds  of  birds,  their  brilliant  colors  gave 
them  no  joy,  coupled  with  so  serious  a  drawback  in 
form.     I  shot   several,  from  which  the  Poyer  boy 


yU  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

selected  tlie  most  beautiful  feathers,  which  he 
afterward  interwove  with  others  from  the  macaw, 
j)arrot,  and  egret,  in  a  gorgeous  head-dress,  as  a 
present  to  me. 

Toward  noon  we  came  to  a  cleared  space,  much 
the  largest  I  had  seen  on  the  coast  ;  and,  as  we  ajj- 
proached  nearer,  I  saw  a  house  of  European  con- 
struction, and  a  large  field  of  sugar-cane.  In  strik- 
ing contrast  with  these  evidences  of  industry  and 
civilization,  a  Sambo  or  Mosquito  village,  made  up 
of  squalid  huts,  half  buried  in  the  forest,  filled  out 
the  foreground.  I  recognized  it  as  the  village  of 
Wasswatla  (literally  Watertown),  the  place  of  our 
destination.  It,  nevertheless,  looked  so  uninviting 
and  miserable,  that  had  I  not  been  attracted  by 
the  Christian  establishment  in  the  distance,  I 
should  have  returned  incontinently  to  the  lagoon. 

My  unfavorable  impressions  were  heightened  on  a 
•nearer  approach.  As  we  pushed  up  our  canoe  to 
the  shore,  among  a  great  variety  of  dories  and 
other  boats,  the  population  of  the  village,  including 
a  large  number  of  dogs  of  low  degree,  swarmed 
down  to  survey  us.  The  juveniles  were  utterly 
naked,  and  most  of  the  adults  of  both  sexes  had 
nothing  more  than  a  strip  of  a  species  of  cloth, 
made  of  the  inner  bark  of  the  ule  or  India-rubber 
tree  (resembling  the  tappa  of  the  Society  Island- 
ers), wrapped  around  their  loins.  There  was  scarce- 
ly one  who  was  not  disfigured  by  the  blotches  of 
the  hulpis,  and  the  hair  of  each  stood  out  in  fright- 
ful frizzles,  "  like  the  quills  on  the  fretful  porcu- 


A    ROYAL    PASSPORT.  91 

pine."  Most  of  the  men  carried  a  short  spear, 
pointed  with  a  common  triangular  file,  carefully 
sharpened  by  rubbing  on  the  stones,  which,  as  I 
afterward  learned,  is  used  for  striking  turtle. 

Forbidding  as  was  the  appearance  of  the  assem- 
blage, none  of  its  individuals  evinced  hostility,  and 
when  I  jumped  ashore,  and  saluted  them  with 
"  Good  morning,"  they  all  responded,  "  Mornin', 
sii"  I"  brought  out  with  an  indescribable  African 
drawl.  Two  or  three  of  the  number  volunteered  to 
help  Antonio  draw  up  our  boat,  while  I  gave  vari- 
ous orders,  in  default  of  knowing  what  else  to  do. 
Luckily,  it  occurred  to  me  to  produce  a  document, 
or  pass,  with  which  Mr.  Bell  had  kindly  furnished 
me  before  leaving  Bluefields,  and  which  all  seemed 
to  recognize,  pointing  to  it  respectfully,  and  ejacu- 
lating, "  King  paper  !  King  paper  !"  It  was  fre- 
quently called  afterward,  "  the  paper  that  talks." 
This  precious  document,  well  engrossed  on  a  sheet 
of  fools-cap,  with  a  broad  seal  at  the  bottom,  ran 
as  follows : — 

"  ilTosqitito  Hingbom. 

"  George  William  Clarence,  by  the  Grace  of 
God,  King  of  the  Mosquito  Territory,  to  our  trusty 
and  well-beloved  officers  and  subjects.  Greeting  ! 
We,  by  these  presents,  do  give  pass  and  license  to 
Samuel  A.  Bard  Esquire,  to  go  freely  through  our 
kingdom,  and  to  dwell  therein  ;  and  do  furthermore 
exhort  and  command  our  well-beloved  officers  and 
subjects  aforesaid,  to  give  aid  and  hospitality  to  the 


92  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

aforesaid  Samuel  A.  Bard  Esquire,  wliom  we  hold 
of  high  esteem  and  consideration.     Given  at  Blue- 

fields,  this day  of ,  in  this  the  tenth  year 

of  our  reign." 

(Signed,)  u  ^ 


The  ejaculations  of  "  King  paper  !  King  paper  !" 
were  followed  by  loud  shouts  of  "  Capt'n  !  Cap- 
t'n  \"  while  two  or  three  tall  fellows  ran  off  in  the 
direction  of  the  huts.  I  was  a  little  puzzled  by  the 
movement,  but  not  long  left  in  doubt  as  to  its  ob- 
ject, for,  in  a  few  moments,  a  figure  approached, 
creating  hardly  less  sensation  among  the  people, 
than  he  would  have  done  among  the  "  boys"  in  the 
Bowery.  I  at  once  recognized  him  as  the  "  Cap- 
t'n," whose  title  had  been  so  vigorously  invoked. 
He  was,  to  start  with,  far  from  being  a  fine-looking 
darkey  ;  but  all  natural  deficiencies  were  more  than 
made  up  by  his  dress.  He  had  on  a  most  venerable 
cocked  hat,  in  which  was  stuck  a  long,  drooping, 
red  plume,  that  had  lost  half  of  its  feathers,  look- 
ing like  the  plumes  of  some  rake  of  a  rooster,  re- 
turning, crestfallen  and  bedraggled,  from  an  unsuc- 
cessful attempt  on  some  powerful  neighbor's  harem. 
His  coat  was  that  of  a  post-captain  in  the  British 
navy,  and  his  pantaloons  were  of  blue  cloth,  with  a 
rusty  gold  stripe  running  down  each  side.  They  were, 
furthermore,  much  too  short  at  both  ends,  leaving  an 
unseemly  projection  of  ankle,  as  well  as  abroad  strip 


CAPTAIN     DRUMMER. 


CAPTAIN    DKUMMER.  95 

of  dark  skin  between  the  waistband  and  the  coat. 
And  when  I  say  that  the  captain  wore  no  shirt,  was 
rather  fat,  and  his  pantaloons  deficient  in  buttons 
wherewith  to  keep  it  appropriately  closed  in  front, 
the  active  fancy  of  the  reader  may  be  able  to  com- 
plete the  picture.  He  bore,  moreover,  a  huge  cav- 
alry sword,  which  looked  all  the  more  formidable 
from  being  bent  in  several  places  and  very  rusty. 
He  came  forward  with  deliberation  and  gravity,  and 
I  advanced  to  meet  him,  "  king  paper"  in  hand. 

When  I  had  got  near  him,  he  adjusted  himself  in 
position,  and  compressed  his  lips,  with  an  affecta- 
tion of  severe  dignity.  Hardly  able  to  restrain 
laughing  outright,  I  took  off  my  hat,  and  saluted 
him  with  a  profound  bow,  and  "  Good  morning, 
Captain  I"  He  pulled  off  his  hat  in  return,  and 
undertook  a  bow,  but  the  strain  was  too  great  on 
the  sole  remaining  button  of  his  waistband  ;  it  gave 
way,  and,  to  borrow  a  modest  nautical  phrase,  the 
nether  garment  "  came  down  on  the  run  \"  The 
captain,  however,  no  way  disconcerted,  gathered  it 
up  with  both  hands,  and  held  it  in  place,  while  I 
read  the  "  paper  that  talked." 

The  upshot  of  the  ceremony  was,  that  I  was  wel- 
comed to  Wasswatla,  and  taken  to  a  large  vacant 
hut,  which  was  called  the  "  king's  house,"  and  dedi- 
cated to  the  Grenius  of  Hospitality.  That  is  to  say, 
the  stranger  or  trader  may  take  up  his  abode  there, 
provided  he  can  dislodge  the  pigs  and  chickens,  who 
have  an  obstinate  notion  of  their  own  on  the  sub-" 
ject  of  the  proprietorship,  and  can  never  be  induced 


96  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

to  surrender  their  prescriptive  rights.  The  "  king's 
house"  was  a  simple  shed,  the  ground  within  trod- 
den into  mire  by  the  pigs,  and  the  thatched  roof 
above  half  blown  away  by  the  wind.  But,  even 
thus  uninviting,  it  was  better  than  any  of  the  other 
and  drier  huts,  for  the  fleas,  at  least,  had  been  suf- 
focated in  the  mud.  Before  night,  Antonio  had 
covered  the  floor,  a  foot  deep,  with  cahoon  leaves, 
and,  with  the  aid  of  the  Poyer  boy  and  one  or  two 
natives,  seduced  thereunto  by  what  they  universally 
call  "  grog,"  had  restored  the  roof,  and  built  up  a 
barricade  of  poles  against  the  pigs.  These  were 
not  numerous,  but  hungry  and  vicious  ;  and,  finding 
the  barricade  too  strong  to  be  rooted  down,  they 
tried  the  dodge  of  the  Jews  at  Jericho,  and  of  Cap- 
tain Crockett  with  the  bear,  and  undertook  to  squeal 
it  down  !  They  neither  ate  nor  slept,  those  pigs,  I 
verily  believe,  during  the  period  of  my  stay  ;  buo 
kept  up  an  incessant  squeal,  occasionally  relieving 
their  tempers  by  a  spiteful  drive  at  the  poles.  Be- 
tween them  and  pestilent  insects  of  various  kinds, 
my  slumbers  were  none  of  the  sweetest,  and  I  reg- 
istered a  solemn  vow  that  this  should  be  my  last 
trial  of  Mosquito  hospitality. 

In  the  afternoon  I  had  a  visit  from  the  captain, 
who  told  me  that  his  name  was  "  Lord  Nelson  Drum- 
mer," and  that  his  father  had  been  "  Governor  "  in 
the  section  around  Pearl-Cay  Lagoon.  He  had  laid 
aside  his  official  suit,  and  with  simple  breeches  of 
white  cotton  cloth,  and  a  straw  hat,  aflbrded  a 
favorable  contrast  to  his  appearance  in  the  mom- 


A    DESERTED    PLANTATION.  97 

ing.  He  spoke  English — quite  as  well  as  the  ne- 
groes of  Jamaica,  and  generally  made  himself  un- 
derstood. From  him  I  learned  that  the  house, 
which  I  had  seen  in  the  clearings,  had  been  built, 
many  years  before,  by  a  French  Creole  from  one  of 
the  islands  of  the  Antilles,  who  at  one  time  had 
there  a  large  plantation  of  coffee,  cotton,  and  sugar- 
cane, from  the  last  of  which  he  distilled  much  rum. 
Drummer  was  animated  on  the  subject  of  the  rum, 
of  which  there  had  been,  as  he  said,  ''  much 
plenty  !"  But  the  Frenchmen  had  died,  and  al- 
though his  family  kept  up  the  establishment  for  a 
Httle  while,  they  were  obliged  to  abandon  it  in  the 
end.  The  negroes  who  had  been  brought  out,  soon 
caught  the  infection  of  the  coast,  and,  slavery  hav- 
ing been  prohibited  (by  the  British  Superintendent 
at  Behze  !),  became  idle,  drunken,  and  worthless. 
Some  of  them  still  lingered  around  Wasswatla, 
gathering  for  sale  to  the  occasional  trader,  a  few 
pounds  of  coffee  from  the  trees  on  the  plantation, 
which,  in  spite  of  years  of  utter  neglect,  still  bore 
fruit.  The  abandoned  cane-fields  furnished  a  sup- 
ply of  canes,  at  which  all  the  inhabitants  of  Wass- 
watla, old  and  young,  were  constantly  gnawing. 
In  fact,  this  appeared  to  be  their  principal  occu- 
pation. I  subsequently  visited  the  abandoned  es- 
tate. It  was  overgrown  with  vines  and  bushes, 
among  which  the  orange,  lime,  and  coffee-trees 
struggled  for  existence.  The  house  was  tumbling 
into  ruin,  and  the  boilers  in  which  the  sugar  had 
been  made,  were  full  of  stagnating  water.     I  re- 


98  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

turned  to  tlie  squalid  village,  having  learned  an- 
other philosophy  in  the  science  of  philanthropy  ; 
and  with  a  diminishing  inclination  to  tolerate  the 
common  cant  about  "  universal  brotherhood  !" 

The  soil  on  the  Wawashaan  is  rich  and  product- 
ive. It  seems  well  adapted  to  cotton  and  sugar. 
The  climate  is  hot  and  humid,  and  I  saw  many  of 
the  natives  much  reduced,  and  suffering  greatly 
from  fevers,  which,  if  not  violent,  appear,  neverthe- 
less, to  be  persistent,  and  exceedingly  debilitating. 
The  natural  products  are  numerous  and  valuable. 
I  observed  many  indian-rubber  trees,  and,  for  the 
first  time,  the  vanilla.  It  is  produced  on  a  vine, 
which  climbs  to  the  tops  of  the  loftiest  trees.  Its 
leaves  somewhat  resemble  those  of  the  grape  ;  the 
flowers  are  red  and  yellow,  and  when  they  fall  off 
are  succeeded  by  the  pods,  which  grow  in  clusters, 
like  our  ordinary  beans.  Green  at  first,  they  change 
to  yellow,  and  finally  to  a  dark  brown.  To  be  pre- 
served, they  are  gathered  when  yellow,  and  put  in 
heaps,  for  a  few  days,  to  ferment.  They  are  after- 
ward placed  in  the  sun  to  dry,  flattened  by  the 
hand,  and  carefully  rubbed  with  cocoa-nut  oil,  and 
then  packed  in  dry  plantain-leaves,  so  as  to  confine 
their  powerful  aromatic  odor.  The  vanilla  might 
be  made  a  considerable  article  of  trade  on  the 
coast ;  but,  at  present,  only  a  few  dozen  packages 
are  exported. 

Lord  Nelson,  as  I  invariably  called  the  captain, 
domesticated  himself  with  me  from  the  first  day, 
and  ate  and  drank  with  me — "  especially  the  lat- 


A    MOSQUITO    DANCE,  99 

ter."  And  I  soon  found  out  that  there  was  a  direct 
and  intimate  relation,  between  his  degree  of  thirst 
and  his  protestations  of  attachment.  He  even 
hinted  his  intention  to  get  up  a  muslila  feast  for 
me,  but  I  would  not  agree  to  stay  for  a  sufficient 
length  of  time. 

Finally,  however,  a  grand  fishing  expedition  to 
the  lagoon  was  determined  on,  and  I  was  surprised 
to  see  with  how  much  alacrity  the  proposition  was 
taken  up.  The  day  previous  to  starting  was  de- 
voted to  sharpening  spears,  cleaning  the  boats,  and 
making  paddles,  in  all  of  which  operations  the 
women  worked  indiscriminately  with  the  men. 
Plantains  were  gathered,  and,  as  it  seemed  to  me, 
no  end  of  sugar-canes  from  the  deserted  plantation. 
In  the  evening,  which  happened  to  prove  clear,  the 
big  drum  was  got  out,  fires  lighted,  and  there  was  a 
dance,  as  Lord  Nelson  said,  "  Mosquito  fashion." 
My  part  of  the  performance  consisted  in  keeping  up 
the  spirit  of  the  drummers,  by  pouring  spirits  down, 
which  service  was  responded  to  by  a  vehemence  of 
pounding  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a  militia 
training.  I  was  surprised  to  find  how  much  skill 
the  performers  had  attained  ;  but  afterward  dis- 
covered that  the  drum  is  the  favorite  instrument  on 
the  coast,  and  is  called  in  requisition  on  all  occa- 
sions of  festivity  or  ceremony.  The  dance  was  un- 
couth, without  the  merit  of  being  grotesque  ;  and 
long  before  it  was  finished,  the  performers,  of  both 
sexes,  had  thrown  aside  their  tournous,  and  aban- 
doned  every  shadow  of  decency  in   their  actions. 


100  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

Lord  Nelson  began  to  grow  torpid  early  in  the 
evening,  and,  before  I  left  the  scene,  had  been 
carried  off  dead  drunk.  Next  morning  he  looked 
rather  downcast,  and  complained  that  the  mm 
"  had  spoiled  his  head." 

It  was  quite  late  when  our  flotilla  got  under 
way,  with  a  large  dory,  carrying  the  big  drum, 
leading  the  van.  There  were  some  twenty-odd 
boats,  containing  nearly  the  entire  population  of 
the  village.  This  number  was  increased  from  the 
huts  lower  down,  the  occupants  of  which  hailed  us 
with  loud  shouts,  and  hastened  after  us  with  their 
canoes.  We  went  down  the  river  with  the  current 
very  rapidly,  the  men  paddling  in  the  maddest  way, 
and  shouting  to  each  other  at  the  top  of  then- 
voices.  Occasionally  the  boats  got  foul,  when  the 
rivals  used  the  flat  of  their  paddles  over  each 
other's  heads  without  scruple.  I  was  considerably 
in  the  rear,  and,  from  the  sound  of  the  blows,  im- 
agined that  every  skull  had  been  crushed  ;  but  next 
moment  their  owners  were  paddling  and  shouting 
as  if  nothing  had  happened.  From  that  day,  I  had 
a  morbid  curiosity  to  get  a  Mosquito  skull ! 

We  all  encamped  at  night,  on  the  sandy  beach 
of  a  large  island,  in  the  centre  of  the  lagoon.  The 
reader  may  be  sure  that  I  made  my  own  camp  at  a 
respectable  distance  from  the  rest  of  the  party, 
where  I  had  a  quiet  supj)er,  patronized,  as  usual, 
by  Captain  Drummer.  As  soon  as  it  became  dark, 
the  preparations  for  fishing  commenced.  The 
women  were  left  on  the  beach,  and  three  men  ap- 


FIRE-LIGHT     FISHING.  101 

portioned  to  eacli  boat.  One  was  detailed  to  pad- 
dle, another  to  hold  the  torch,  and  the  third,  and 
most  skillful,  acted  as  striker  or  spearsman.  The 
torches  were  made  of  splinters  of  the  fat  yellow 
pine,  which  abounds  in  the  interior.  The  spears,  I 
observed,  were  of  two  kinds  ;  one  firmly  fixed  by  a 
shank  at  the  end  of  a  long  light  pole,  called  sin- 
nock,  which  is  not  allowed  to  escape  the  hand  of 
the  striker.  The  other,  called  waisko-dusa,  is 
much  shorter.  The  staff  is  hollow,  and  the  iron 
spear-head,  or  harpoon,  is  fastened  to  a  line  which 
passes  through  rings  by  the  side  of  the  shaft,  and 
is  wound  to  a  piece  of  light-wood,  designed  to  act 
as  a  float.  When  thrown,  the  head  remains  in  the 
fish,  while  the  line  unwinds,  and  the  float  rises  to 
the  surface,  to  be  seized  again  by  the  fisherman, 
who  then  hauls  in  his  fish  at  his  leisure.  When  the 
fish  is  large  and  active,  the  chase  after  the  float 
becomes  animated,  and  takes  the  character  of  what 
fishermen  call  "  sport." 

As  I  have  said,  no  sooner  was  it  dark  than  the 
boats  pushed  off,  in  different  directions,  on  the  la- 
goon. My  Poyer  boy  had  borrowed  a  ivaisko- 
dusa,  and  with  him  to  strike,  and  Antonio  to 
paddle,  I  took  a  torch,  and  also  glided  out  on  the 
water.  My  torch  was  tied  to  a  pole,  which  I  held 
over  the  bow.  Antonio  paddled  slowly,  while  the 
Poyer  boy,  entirely  naked  (for  the  strikers  often  go 
overboard  after  their  own  spears),  stood  in  the  bow, 
with  his  spear  poised  in  his  right  hand,  eagerly  in- 
clining forward,  and  motionless  as  a  statue.     He 


102  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

was  perfect  in  form,  and  liis  bronze  limbs,  just 
tense  enough  to  display  without  distorting  the 
muscles,  were  brought  in  clear  outline  against  the 
darkness  by  the  light  of  the  torch — revealing  a  fig- 
ure and  pose  that  would  shame  the  highest  achieve- 
ments of  the  sculptor.  It  was  so  admirable  that  I 
quite  forgot  the  fisher  in  the  artist,  when,  rapid  as 
light,  the  arm  of  the  Poyer  boy  fell,  and  the  spear 
entered  the  water  eight  or  nine  feet  ahead  of  the 
boat.  The  motion  was  so  sudden,  that  it  nearly 
startled  me  overboard.  At  first,  I  thought  he  had 
missed  his  mark,  but  I  soon  saw  the  white  float, 
now  dipping  under  the  water,  now  jerked  this  way, 
now  that,  evincing  clearly  that  the  spearsman  had 
been  true  in  his  aim.  A  few  strokes  of  Antonio's 
paddle  brought  the  float  within  reach  of  the  striker, 
who  began,  in  sporting  phrase,  to  "  land"  the  fish. 
It  made  a  desperate  struggle,  and,  for  awhile,  it 
was  what  is  called  a  "  tight  pull "  between  the 
boy  and  the  fish.  Nevertheless,  he  was  finally  got 
in,  and  proved  to  be  what  is  called  a  June,  or  Jew- 
fish  (Coracinus),  by  the  English,  and  Palpa  by  the 
natives.  In  point  of  dehcacy  and  richness  of  flavor, 
this  fish  is  uuequaled  by  any  other  found  in  these 
seas.  The  one  which  we  obtained  weighed  not  far 
from  eighty  pounds.  Some  of  them  have  been 
known  to  weigh  two  or  three  hundred  pounds.  Our 
prize  made  a  great  disturbance  in  our  little  canoe, 
to  which  Antonio  put  a  stop  by  disemboweling  him 
on  the  spot,  after  which  we  resumed  our  sport. 
We  were  successful  in  obtaining  a  number  of  rock- 


NIGHT    FISHING.  103 

fish,  and  several  sikoko,  or  slieep's-heads.  Ambi- 
tious to  try  my  skill,  I  took  the  Poyer  boy's  place 
for  awhile,  I  was  astonished  to  find  how  perfectly 
clear  the  water  proved  to  be,  under  the  light  of  the 
torch.  The  bottom,  which,  in  the  broad  daylight, 
had  been  utterly  invisible,  now  revealed  all  of  its 
mysteries,  its  shells,  and  plants,  and  stones,  with 
wonderful  distinctness.  I  observed  also  that  the 
fish  seemed  to  be  attracted  by  the  Hght,  and,  in- 
stead of  darting  away,  rose  toward  the  surface  and 
approached  the  boat.  I  allowed  several  opportuni- 
ties of  throwing  the  spear  to  slip.  Finally,  a  fine 
sheep's-head  rose  just  in  front  of  me  ;  I  aimed  my 
spear,  and  threw  it  with  such  an  excess  of  force  as 
literally  to  drive  the  dory  from  beneath  my  feet, 
precipitating  myself  in  the  water,  and  knocking 
down  and  extinguishing  the  torch  in  my  ungraceful 
tumble.  The  spear  was  recovered,  and  I  felt  rather 
disappointed  to  find  that  it  was  innocent  of  a  fish. 
Antonio  suggested  that  he  had  broken  loose,  which 
was  kind  of  him,  but  it  would  n't  do.  As  we  were 
without  light,  and,  moreover,  had  as  many  fish  as 
we  could  possibly  dispose  of,  we  paddled  ashore. 

Up  to  this  time,  I  had  been  so  much  absorbed 
with  our  own  sport,  that  I  had  not  noticed  the  other 
fishers.  It  was  a  strange  scene.  Each  torch  glow- 
ed at  the  apex  of  a  trembling  pyramid  of  red  light, 
which,  as  the  boats  could  not  be  seen,  seemed  to  be 
inspired  with  life.  Some  moved  on  stately  and  slow, 
while  others,  where  the  boats  were  rapidly  whMed 
in  pursuit  of  the  stricken  fish,  seemed  to  be  chasing 


104  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

eacli  other  in  fiery  glee.  Every  successful  tlu'ow 
was  hailed  with  vehement  shouts,  heightened  by 
loud  blows  made  by  striking  the  flat  of  the  paddle 
on  the  surface  of  the  water.  All  along  the  shore, 
the  women  had  lighted  fires  whereat  to  dry  the  fish, 
which,  in  this  climate,  can  not  be  kept  long  without 
sj)oiling.  The  light  from  these  fires  caught  on  the 
heavy  foliage  of  the  shore,  and  revealing  the  groups 
of  half-naked  women  and  children,  helped  to  make 
up  a  scene  which  it  is  difiicult  to  paint  in  words, 
but  which  can  never  be  forgotten  by  one  who  has 
witnessed  it. 

It  was  past  midnight  before  the  boats  all  returned 
to  the  shore  ;  and  then  commenced  the  diying  of 
the  fish.  Over  all  the  fires,  just  out  of  reach  of  the 
flames,  were  raised  frame-works  of  canes,  like  grid- 
irons, on  which  the  fish,  thinly  sliced  lengthwise, 
and  rubbed  with  salt,  were  laid.  They  were  repeat- 
edly turned,  so  that,  with  the  salt,  smoke  and  heat, 
they  were  so  far  cured  in  the  morning,  as  to  require 
no  further  attention  than  a  day  or  two  of  exposure 
to  the  sun.  Our  Jew-fish  was  thus  prepared,  and 
afterward  stood  us  in  good  stead,  much  resembling 
smoked  salmon,  but  less  salt.  While  Antonio  super- 
intended this  operation,  I  cooked  the  head  and 
shoulders  of  the  big  fish  in  the  sand,  after  the  man- 
ner I  have  already  described,  and  achieved  a  signal 
success,  inasmuch  as  the  dish  was  well  seasoned  with 
"  hunger  sauce." 


FF  the  mouth  of  Pearl-Cay  Lagoon 
are  numerous  cays,  which,  in  fact, 
give  their  name  to  the  lagoon.  They 
are  celebrated  for  the  number  and 
variety  of  turtles  found  on  and 
around  them.  I  was  so  much  delighted  with  our 
torch-light  fishing,  that_I^  became  eager  to  witness 
the  sport  of  turtle-hunting,  which  is  regarded  by  the 
Mosxjmtos  as  their  noblest  art,  and  in  which  they 
have  acquired  proverbial  expertness.  Drummer 
required  only  a  little  persuasion  and  a  taste  of  rum, 
to  undertake  an  expedition  to  the  cays.  As  this 
involved  going  out  in  the  open  sea,  he  selected  fom- 
of  the  largest  pitpans,  to  each  of  which  he  assigned 
the  requisite  number  of  able-bodied  and  expert  men. 
The  women  and  remaining  men  were  left  to  continue 
their  fishing  in  the  lagoon.  My  canoe  was  much 
too  small  to  venture  off,  and  accordingly  was  left  in 

5* 


106  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

charge  of  tlie  Poyer  boy,  who,  armed  with  my 
double-barreled  gun,  felt  himself  a  host.  With 
Antonio,  I  was  given  a  place  in  the  largest  pitpan, 
commanded  by  Harris,  Captain  Drummer's  "  quar- 
ter-master," who  was  much  the  finest  specimen  of 
physical  beauty  that  I  had  seen  among  the  Sambos. 

I  was  quite  concerned  on  finding  how  little  pro- 
visions were  taken  in  the  boats,  since  bad  weather 
often  keeps  the  fishermen  out  for  two  or  three 
weeks.  But  Drummer  insisted  that  we  should  find 
plenty  to  eat,  and  we  embarked.  We  caught  the 
land-breeze  as  soon  as  we  got  from  under  the  lee  of 
the  shore,  and  drove  rapidly  on  our  course.  Although 
the  sea  was  comparatively  smooth,  yet  the  boats  all 
carried  such  an  amount  of  sail  as  to  keep  me  in  a 
state  of  constant  nervousness.  One  would  scarcely 
believe  that  the  Mosquito  men  venture  out  in  their 
pitpans,  in  the'  roughest  weather  with  impunity, 
riding  the  waves  like  sea-gulls.  If  upset,  they  right 
their  boats  in  a  moment,  and  with  their  broad  pad- 
dle-blades clear  them  of  water  in  an  incredibly  short 
space  of  time. 

We  went,  literally,  with  the  wind  ;  and  in  four 
hours  after  leaving  the  shore,  were  among  the  cays. 
These  are  very  numerous,  surrounded  by  reefs, 
through  which  wind  intricate  channels,  all  well 
known  to  the  fishers.  Some  of  the  cays  are  mere 
heaps  of  sand,  and  half-disintegrated  coral-rock, 
others  are  larger,  and  a  few  have  bushes,  and  an 
occasional  palm-tree  upon  them,  much  resembling 
"  El  Eoncador."     It  was  on  one  of  the  latter,  where 


TAKING    TURTLE.  107 

there  were  the  ruins  of  a  rude  hut,  and  a  place 
scooped  in  the  sand,  containing  brackish  water, 
that  we  landed,  and  made  our  encampment.  No 
sooner  was  this  done  than  Harris  started  out  with 
his  boat  after  turtle,  leaving  the  rest  to  repair  the 
hut,  and  arrange  matters  for  the  night.  Of  course 
I  accompanied  Harris. 

The  apparatus  for  striking  the  turtle  is  exceed- 
ingly simple,  corresponding  exactly  with  the  waislco- 
dusa,  which  I  have  described,  except  that  instead 
of  being  barbed,  the  point  is  an  ordinary  triangular 
file,  ground  exceedingly  sharp.  This,  it  has  been 
found,  is  the  only  thing  which  will  pierce  the  thick 
armor  of  the  turtle  ;  and,  moreover,  it  makes  so 
small  a  hole,  that  it  seldom  kills  the  green  turtle, 
and  very  slightly  injures  the  scales  of  the  hawkbill 
variety,  which  furnishes  the  shell  of  commerce. 

Harris  stood  in  the  bow  of  the  pitpan,  keeping  a 
sharp  look  out,  holding  his  spear  in  his  right 
hand,  with  his  left  hand  behind  him,  where  it  an- 
swered the  purpose  of  a  telegraph  to  the  two  men 
who  paddled.  They  kept  their  eyes  fixed  on  the 
signal,  and  regulated  their  strokes,  and  the  course 
and  speed  of  the  boat,  accordingly.  Not  a  word 
was  said,  as  it  is  supposed  that  the  turtle  is  sharp 
of  hearing.  In  this  manner  we  paddled  among 
the  cays  for  half  an  hour,  when,  on  a  slight  motion 
of  Harris'  hand,  the  men  altered  their  course  a  lit- 
tle, and  worked  their  paddles  so  slowly  and  quietly 
as  scarcely  to  cause  a  ripple.  I  peered  ahead,  but 
saw  only  what  I  supposed  was  a  rock,  projecting 


108  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

above  the  water.  It  was,  nevertheless,  a  turtle, 
floating  lazily  on  the  surface,  as  turtles  are  wont  to 
do.  Notwithstanding  the  caution  of  our  approach, 
he  either  heard  us,  or  caught  sight  of  the  boat,  and 
sank  while  we  were  yet  fifty  yards  distant.  There 
was  a  quick  motion  of  Harris'  manual  telegraph, 
and  the  men  began  to  paddle  with  the  utmost  ra- 
pidity, striking  their  paddles  deep  in  the  water.  In 
an  instant  the  boat  had  darted  over  the  spot  where 
the  turtle  had  disappeared,  and  I  caught  a  hurried 
glimpse  of  him,  making  his  way  with  a  speed  which 
quite  upset  my  notions  of  the  ability  of  turtles  in 
that  line,  predicated  upon  their  unwieldiness  on 
land.  He  literally  seemed  to  slide  through  the 
water. 

And  now  commenced  a  novel  and  exciting  chase. 
Harris  had  his  eyes  on  the  turtle,  and  the  men 
theirs  on  Harris'  telegraphic  hand.  Now  we  darted 
this  way,  then  that  ;  slow  one  moment,  rapid  the 
next,  and  anon  stock  still.  The  water  was  not  so 
deep  as  to  permit  our  scaly  friend  to  get  entirely 
out  of  reach  of  Harris'  practiced  eye,  although  to 
me  the  bottom  appeared  to  be  a  hopeless  maze.  As 
the  turtle  must  rise  to  the  surface  sooner  or  later 
to  breathe,  the  object  of  the  pursuer  is  to  keep  near 
enough  to  transfix  him  when  he  appears.  Finally, 
after  half  an  hour  of  dodging  about,  the  boat  was 
stopped  with  a  jerk,  and  down  darted  the  spear. 
As  the  whole  of  the  shaft  did  not  go  under,  I  saw  it 
had  not  failed  of  its  object.  A  moment  more,  and 
Harris  had  hold  of  the  line.     After  a  few  struggles 


STKIKING     TURTLE. 


109 


and  spasmodic  attempts  to  get  away,  his  spirit  gave 
in,  and  the  tired  tm'tle  tamely  allowed  himself  to 
be  conducted  to  the  shore.  A  few  sharp  strokes 
disengaged  the  file,  and  he  was  turned  over  on  his 
back  on  the  sand,  the  very  picture  of  utter  helpless- 
ness, to  await  our  return.  I  have  a  fancy  that  the 
expression  of  a  turtle's  head,  and  half-closed  eyes, 
under  such  circumstances,  is  the  superlative  of 
saintly  resignation  ;  to  which  a  few  depreciatory 
movements  of  his  flippers  come  in  as  a  sanctimoni- 
ous accessory,  like  the  upraised  palms  of  a  well-fed 
parson. 


8TU  IKING     TUKTLJ 


This  "  specimen,"  as  the  naturalists  would  say, 
jjroved  to  be  of  the  smaller,  or  hawk-bill  variety, 
the  flesh  of  which  is  inferior  to  that  of  the  green 
turtle,  although  hawk-bills  are  most  valuable  on 
account  of  their  shells.     So  we  paddled  off  again. 


110  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

keeping  close  to  the  cays  and  reefs,  where  the  water 
is  shallow.  It  was  nearly  dark  before  Harris  got  a 
chance  at  another  turtle,  which  he  struck  on  the 
bottom,  at  least  eight  feet  below  the  surface. 
This  was  of  the  green  variety  ;  he  was  lifted  in  the 
boat,  and  his  head  unceremoniously  chopped  off, 
lest  he  should  take  a  spiteful  nip  at  the  hams  of 
the  paddlers. 

We  wound  our  way  back  to  the  rendezvous,  pick- 
ing up  our  hawk-bill,  who  was  that  night  unmer- 
cifully put  tlirough  the  cruel  process,  which  I  have 
ah-eady  had  occasion  to  describe,  for  separating  the 
scales  from  the  shell,  after  which  he  was  permitted 
to  take  himself  off.  I  may  here  mention,  that  be- 
sides the  two  varieties  of  turtle  which  I  have 
named,  there  is  another  and  larger  kind,  called 
the  loggerhead  turtle  (Testudo  Caretta),  which  re- 
sembles the  green  turtle,  but  is  distinguished  by 
the  superior  size  of  the  head,  greater  breadth  of 
shell,  and  by  its  deeper  and  more  variegated  colors. 
It  grows  to  be  of  great  size,  sometimes  reaching  one 
thousand  or  twelve  hundred  pounds  ;  but  its  flesh 
is  rank  and  coarse,  and  the  laminae  of  its  shell  too 
thin  for  use.  It,  nevertheless,  supplies  a  good  oil, 
proper  for  a  variety  of  purj^oses. 

That  evening,  we  had  turtle  steaks,  and  turtle  eggs, 
roasted  turtle  flippers,  and  caUipash  and  callipee 
(the  two  latter  in  the  form  of  soup), — in  fact,  turtle 
in  every  form  known  to  the  Mosquito  men,  wKb 
well  deserve  the  name  of  turtle-men.  The  turtle 
conceals  its  eggs  in  the  sand,  but  the  natives  are 


"jumping    turtle,"  111 

ready  to  detect  indications  of  a  deposit,  which  they 
verify  By  thrusting  in  the  sand  the  iron  ramrod  of 
a  musket,  an  operation  which  they  call  "  feeling 
for  eggs." 

^hout  midnight,  it  came  on  to  rain  heavily,  and 
continued  all  the  next  day,  so  that  nothing  could 
be  done.  The  time  was  "  put  in"  talking  turtle,  and 
Harris  got  so  warmed  up  as  to  promise  to  show  me 
what  the  Mosquito  men  regard  as  the  ne  plus  ultra 
of  skill  in  turtle  craft,  namely,  "jumping  turtle." 
He  did  not  explain  to  me  what  this  meant,  but 
gave  me  a  significant  wag  of  the  head,  which  is  a 
Mosquito  synonym  for  nous  verrons. 

The  third  day  proved  propitious,  and  Hams  was 
successful  in  obtaining  several  fine  turtles.  About 
noon  he  laid  aside  his  spear,  and  took  his  position, 
entirely  naked,  keeping  up,  nevertheless,  his  usual 
look-out.  We  were  not  long  in  getting  on  the 
track  of  a  turtle.  After  a  world  of  maneuvering, 
apparently  with  the  object  of  driving  him  into  shal- 
low water,  Harris  made  a  sudden  dive  overboard. 
The  water  boiled  and  bubbled  for  a  few  moments, 
when  he  reappeared,  holding  a  fine  hawk-bill  in 
his  outstretched  hands.  And  that  feat  proved  to 
be  what  is  called  "jumping  a  turtle,"  It  often 
happens  that  bungling  fishermen  get  badly  bitten 
in  these  attempts,  which  are  not  without  their  dan- 
gers from  the  sharp  coral  rocks  and  spiny  sea-eggs. 

During  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth  day,  we  re- 
turned to  the  lagoon,  taking  with  us  eight  green 
turtles,  and  about  ninety  pounds  of  fine  shell.     We 


112  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

found  that  most  of  the  party  which  we  had  left  had 
gone  back  to  the  village,  whither  Drummer  and  his 
"  quarter-master"  were  urgent  I  should  return  with 
them.  But  Wasswatla  had  no  further  attractions 
for  me,  and  I  was  firm  in  my  purpose  of  proceeding 
straightway  up  the  coast. 

With  many  last  turns  at  the  grog,  I  parted — not 
without  regret — with  Drummer  and  Harris,  giving 
them  each  a  gaudy  silk  handkerchief,  in  acknowl- 
edgment of  two  fine  turtles  which  they  insisted  on 
my  accepting.  Harris  also  gave  me  his  turtle- 
spear,  and  was  much  exalted  when  I  told  him  that 
I  should  have  it  engraved  with  his  name,  and  hung 
up  in  my  watla  (house)  at  home. 

Pearl-Cay  Lagoon  is  upward  of  forty  miles  long, 
by,  jjerhaps,  ten  miles  wide  at  its  broadest  part. 
There  are  three  or  four  settlements  upon  it,  the 
princijDal  of  which  are  called  Kirka,  and  English 
Bank.  I  did  not  visit  any  of  these,  but  took  my 
course  direct  for  the  upper  end  of  the  lagoon,  where, 
as  the  chain  of  salt  lakes  is  here  interrupted  for  a 
considerable  distance,  there  is  another  haulover 
from  the  lagoon  to  the  sea.  I  saw  several  collec- 
tions of  huts  on  the  western  shore,  and  on  a  small 
island,  where  we  stopped  during  the  mid-day  heats, 
I  gathered  a  few  stalks  of  the  JiquiUte  {Indigo/era 
dispermd),  or  indigenous  indigo-plant,  which  may 
be  ranked  as  one  of  the  jDrospective  sources  of 
wealth  on  the  coast. 

We  arrived  at  the  haulover  in  the  midst  of  a 
drenchino;    thunder-storm,  which    lasted   into   the 


TROPICAL      TORMENTS.  118 

niglit.  It  was  impossible  to  light  a  fire,  and  so  we 
drew  up  the  canoe  on  the  beach,  and,  piling  our 
traps  in  the  centre,  I  perched  myself  on  the  top, 
where,  with  the  sail  thrown  over  my  head,  I  enact- 
ed the  part  of  a  tent-pole  for  the  live-long  night  ! 
My  Indian  companions  stripped  themselves  naked, 
rubbed  their  bodies  with  palm  oil,  and  took  the 
pelting  with  all  the  nonchalance  of  ducks.  For 
want  of  any  thing  better  to  do,  I  ate  plantains  and 
dried  fish,  and,  after  the  rain  subsided,  watched  the 
brilliant  fire-flies,  of  which  hundreds  moved  about 
lazily  under  the  lee  of  the  bushes.  The  atmos- 
phere, after  the  storm  had  subsided,  was  murky  and 
sultry,  making  respiration  difficult,  and  inducing  a 
sense  of  extreme  lassitude  and  fatigue.  Every 
thing  was  damp  and  sticky,  and  so  saturated  with 
water,  that  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  lie  down.  I 
applied  to  my  Jamaica  for  comfort,  but,  in  spite  of 
it,  relapsed  into  a  fit  of  glums,  or  "  blue-devils." 
To  add  to  my  discomfort,  innumerable  sand-flies 
came  out,  and,  soon  after,  a  cloud  of  mosquitos, 
while  a  forest-full  of  some  kind  of  tree-toad  struck 
up  a  doleful  piping,  which  proved  too  much  for 
even  my  tried  equanimity.  I  got  uj^,  and  strode 
back  and  forth  on  the  narrow  sand-beach,  in  a  ve- 
hement and  intemperate  manner,  wishing  myself  in 
New  York,  any  where,  even  in  Jamaica  !  The  re- 
membrance of  my  first  night  on  the  shores  of  the 
lagoon  only  served  to  make  me  feel  the  more 
wretched,  and  I  longed  to  have  "  some  gentleman 
do  me  the  favor  to  thread  on  the  tail  of  me  coat  !" 


114  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

Toward  daylight,  however,  my  companions  had 
contrived  to  make  up  a  sickly  fire,  in  the  smoke  of 
which  I  sought  refuge  from  the  mosquitoes  and 
sand-flies,  and  became  soothed  and  sooty  at  the 
same  time.  Day  came  at  last,  but  the  sun  was  ob- 
scured, and  things  wore  but  slight  improvement  on 
the  night.  I  found  that  we  were  on  a  narrow  strip 
of  sand,  scarcely  two  hundred  yards  wide,  covered 
with  scrubby  bushes,  interspersed  with  a  few  twist- 
ed trees,  looking  like  weather-beaten  skeletons,  be- 
yond which  was  the  sea,  dark  and  threatening, 
under  a  gray,  filmy  sky.  Antonio  predicted  a 
storm,  what  he  called  a  temporal,  during  which  it 
often  rains  steadily  for  a  week.  Under  the  circum- 
stances, it  became  a  pregnant  question  what  to  do  ; 
whether  to  return  down  the  lagoon  to  some  more 
ehgible  spot  for  an  encampment,  or  to  j)ush  out 
boldly  on  the  ocean,  and  make  an  effort  to  gain  the 
mouth  of  a  large  river,  some  miles  up  the  coast, 
called  Kio  Grande  or  Great  River. 

I  resolved  upon  the  latter  course,  and  we  drag- 
ged the  canoe  across  the  haulover.  Although  the 
surf  was  not  high,  we  had  great  difficulty  in 
launching  our  boat,  which  was  effected  by  my  com- 
panions, who,  stationed  one  on  each  side,  seized  a 
favorable  moment,  as  the  waves  fell,  to  drag  it  be- 
yond the  line  of  breakers.  While  one  kept  it  sta- 
tionary with  his  paddle,  the  other,  watching  his  op- 
portunity, carried  off  the  articles  one  by  one,  and 
finally,  strij)ping  myself,  I  mounted  on  Antonio's 
shoulders,    and  was  deposited   like  a  sack  in  the 


BRAVING    THE    BAR.  115 

boat.  We  paddled  out  until  we  got  a  good  offing, 
then  put  up  our  sail,  and  laid  our  course  north- 
north-west.  The  coast  was  dim  and  indistinct,  but 
I  had  great  faith  in  the  Poyer  boy,  whose  judgment 
had  thus  far  never  failed.  About  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  we  came  in  sight  of  a  knoll  or  high 
bank,  which,  covered  with  large  trees,  rises  on  the 
north  side  of  the  mouth  of  Great  Eiver,  constitut- 
ing an  excellent  landmark.  I  was  in  no  wise  sorry 
to  find  ourselves  nearing  it  rapidly,  for  the  wind  be- 
gan to  freshen,  and  I  feared  lest  it  might  raise  such 
a  surf  on  the  bar  of  the  river  as  to  prevent  us  from 
entering.  In  fact,  the  waves  had  begun  to  break  at 
the  shallower  places  on  the  bar,  while  elsewhere 
the  north-east  wind  drove  over  the  water  in  heavy 
swells.  The  sail  was  hastily  gathered  in,  and  my 
Indians,  seizing  their  paddles,  watched  the  seventh, 
or  crowning  wave,  and,  by  vigorous  exertion,  cheer- 
ing each  other  with  shouts,  kept  the  canoe  at  its 
crest,  and  thus  we  were  swept  majestically  over  the 
bar,  into  the  comparatively  quiet  water  beyond  it. 
Half  an  hour  afterward,  the  great  waves  broke  on 
the  very  spot  where  we  had  crossed,  in  clouds  of 
spray,  and  with  the  noise  of  thunder  ! 

The  mouth  of  Great  Kiver  is  broad,  but  entirely 
exposed  to  the  north-east  ;  and,  although  it  is  a 
large  stream,  the  water  on  its  bar  is  not  more  than 
five  or  six  feet  deep,  shutting  out  all  large  vessels, 
which  otherwise  might  go  up  a  long  way  into  the 
country.  There  are  several  islands  near  the  mouth. 
On   the  innermost    one,  which  toward  the   sea  is 


116  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

bluff  and  high,  we  made  our  encampment.  It  ap- 
peared to  me  as  favorable  a  spot  as  we  could  find 
whereon  to  await  the  temporal  which  Antonio  had 
predicted,  and  the  approach  of  which  became  ap- 
parent to  even  the  most  unpracticed  observer.  For- 
tunately, with  Harris'  turtles,  we  felt  easy  on  the 
score  of  food.  So  we  dragged  the  canoe  high  up  on 
the  bank,  and  while  I  kindled  a  fire,  my  companions 
busied  themselves  in  constructing  a  shelter  over  the 
boat.  Stout  forked  stakes  were  jilanted  at  each 
end  of  the  canoe,  to  suj^port  a  ridge-pole,  with  other 
shorter  ones  supporting  the  outer  poles.  To  these, 
canes  were  lashed  transversely,  and  over  all  was 
woven  a  thatch  of  calioon,  or  palmetto-leaves.  Out- 
side, and  on  a  line  with  the  eaves,  a  little  trench 
was  dug,  to  carry  off  the  water,  and  preserve  the 
interior  from  being  flooded  by  what  might  run 
down  the  slope  of  the  ground.  So  rapidly  was  all 
this  done,  that  before  it  was  quite  dark  the  hut  was 
so  far  advanced  as  to  enable  us  to  defy  the  rain, 
which  soon  began  to  fall  in  torrents.  The  strong 
sea  wind  drove  oft'  the  mosquitos  to  the  bush  on  the 
main-land,  so  that  I  slept  comfortably  and  well,  in 
spite  of  the  thunder  of  the  sea  and  the  roaring  of 
the  wind. 

For  eight  days  it  rained  almost  uninterruptedly. 
Sometimes,  between  nine  and  eleven  o'clock,  and 
for  perhaps  an  hour  near  sunset,  there  would  be  a 
pause,  and  a  lull  in  the  wind,  and  a  general  light- 
ing up  of  the  leaden  sky,  as  if  the  sun  were  about  to 
break  through.     But  the  clouds  would  gather  again 


A     TROPICAL     "temporal." 


Ill 


darker  than  ever,  and  the  rain  set  in  with  a  steady 
pouring  unknown  in  northern  latitudes.  For  eight 
mortal  days  wc  had  no  ray  of  sun,  or  moon,  or  star  ! 
Every  iron  thing  became  thickly  coated  with  rust ; 
our  plantains  began  to  spot,  and  our  dried  fish  to 
grow  soft  and  mouldy,  requiring  to  be  hung  over 
the  small  fire  which  we  contrived  to  keep  alive,  in 
one  corner  of  our  extemporaneous  hut. 


TEMPORAL    C  A  J[  P . 


After  the  third  day,  the  water  in  the  river  began 
to  rise,  and  during  the  night  rose  more  than  eight 
feet.  On  the  fifth  day  the  current  was  full  of  large 
trees,  their  leaves  still  green,  which  seemed  to  be 
bound  together  with  vines.  In  the  afternoon  down 
came  the  entire  thatched  roof  of  a  native  hut,  which 
lodged  against  our  island,  bringing  us  a  most  accept- 
able freight,  in  the  shape  of  a  plump  two-months 


118  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

old  j)ig.  His  fellow-voyager — strange  companion- 
sliip  ! — was  a  tame  parrot,  with  clij)ped  wings,  who 
looked  melancholy  enough  when  rescued,  but  who, 
after  getting  dry  in  our  hut,  and  soothing  his  appe- 
tite on  my  plantains,  first  became  mirthful,  then 
boisterous,  and  finally  mischievous.  He  was  im- 
mediately installed  as  one  of  the  party,  and  made 
more  noise  in  the  world  than  all  the  rest.  To  me 
he  proved  an  unfailing  source  of  amusement.  He 
was  respectful  toward  Antonio,  but  vicious  toward 
the  Poyer  boy,  and  never  happy  except  when 
cautiously  stealing  to  get  a  bite  at  his  toes.  When 
successful  in  this  he  became  wild  with  delight,  and 
as  noisy  and  vehement  as  a  lucky  Frenchman.  It 
was  one  of  his  prime  delights  to  gnaw  ofi"  the  corks 
of  my  bottles  ;  and  he  was  possessed  of  a  most  in- 
sane desire  to  get  inside  of  my  demijohn,  mistak- 
ing it,  perhaps,  for  a  wicker  cage,  from  which  he 
imagined  himself  wrongfully  excluded.  Antonio 
called  him  "  El  Moro,"  the  Moor,  for  what  reason  I 
did  not  understand,  and  the  name  suiting  me  as 
well  as  any  other,  I  baptized  him  with  water,  "  El 
Moro,"  and  got  an  ugly  pinch  on  the  wrist  for  my 
blasphemy. 

Our  young  porker  escaped  drowning  only  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  Philistines  ;  we  had  nothing 
to  feed  him  ;  he  might  get  away  ;  he  was,  more- 
over, invitingly  fat  ;  so  we  incontinently  cut  his 
throat,  and  ate  him  up  ! 

During  our  imprisonment,  my  companions  were 
not  idle.     Upon  the  island  were  many  mohoe-trees, 


ISLAND    IMPKISONMENT.  119 

the  bark  of  wliicli  is  tough,  and  of  a  fine,  soft, 
white  fibre.  Of  tliis  they  collected  considerable 
quantities,  which  the  Poyer  boy  braided  into  a  sort 
of  cap,  designed  as  the  foundation  of  the  elegant 
feather  head-dress  which  he  afterward  gave  me  ; 
while  Antonio,  more  utilitarian,  wove  a  small  net, 
not  unlike  that  which  we  use  to  catch  crabs.  He 
at  once  put  it  into  requisition  to  catch  craw-fish, 
which  abounded  among  the  rocks  to  the  seaward  of 
the  island.  But  before  entering  upon  the  subject 
of  craw-fish,  I  may  say  that  the  onohoe  bark,  from 
its  fine  quality,  and  the  abundance  in  which  it  may 
be  procured,  might  be  made  exceedingly  useful  for 
the  manufacture  of  paper — an  article  now  becom- 
ing scarce  and  dear. 

The  cray  or  craw-fish  resemble  the  lobster,  but 
are  smaller  in  size,  and  want  the  two  great  claws. 
Their  flesh  has  more  flavor  than  that  of  either  the 
crab  or  lobster,  and  we  found  them  an  acceptable 
addition  to  our  commissariat.  There  were  many 
wood-pigeons  and  parrots  on  the  island,  but  my  gun 
had  got  in  such  a  state,  from  the  damp,  that  I  did 
not  attempt  to  use  it. 

Our  protracted  stay  made  a  large  draft  on  our 
yucas  and  plantains,  and  it  became  important  to  us 
to  look  out  for  fruit  and  vegetables.  The  current 
in  the  river  was  too  strong,  and  too  much  obstruct- 
ed with  floating  timber,  to  permit  us  to  use  our 
boat.  The  water,  even  at  the  broadest  part  of  the 
stream,  had  risen  upward  of  fifteen  feet,  equivalent 
to  a  rise  of  twenty  or  twenty-five  feet  in  the  inte- 


120  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOEE. 

rior  !  The  banks  were  overflowed  ;  the  low  islands 
outside  of  us  completely  submerged  and  our  own 
space  much  circumscribed.  A  few  plantain-trees, 
which  we  had  observed  on  the  first  evening,  had 
been  broken  down  or  swept  away,  and  we  were  fain 
to  put  ourselves  on  a  short  allowance  of  vegetables. 
One  morning,  during  a  pause  in  the  rain,  I  ven- 
tured out  ;  and,  after  a  little  search,  found  a  tree, 
resembling  a  pear-tree,  and  bearing  a  large  quan- 
tity of  a  small  fruit,  of  the  size  and  shape  of  a  crab- 
apple,  and  exactly  like  it  in  smell.  I  cried  out  de- 
lightedly to  Antonio,  holding  up  a  handful  of  the 
supposed  apples.  To  my  surprise,  he  shouted, 
"  Throw  them  down  !  throw  them  down  \"  explain- 
ing that  they  were  the  fruit  of  the  mangeneel  or 
manzanilla,  and  rank  poison.  He  hurried  me  away 
from  the  tree,  assuring  me  that  even  the  dew  or 
rain-drops  which  fell  from  its  leaves  were  poisonous, 
and  that  its  influence,  like  that  of  the  fabled  upas, 
is  so  powerful  as  to  swell  the  faces  and  limbs  of 
those  who  may  be  ignorant  or  indiscreet  enough 
to  sleep  beneath  its  shade  !  I  found  out  subse- 
quently, that  it  is  with  the  acrid  milky  juice  of  this 
tree  that  the  Indians  poison  their  arrows.  I  ever 
afterward  gave  it  a  wide  berth.  In  shape  and 
smell  is  is  so  much  like  the  crab-apple  that  I  can 
readily  understand  how  it  might  prove  dangerous  to 
strangers.  Under  the  tropics,  it  is  safe  to  let  wild 
fruits  alone.  Antonio,  more  successful  than  myself, 
found  a  large  quantity  of  guavas,  which  the  natives 
eat  with  great  relish,  but  which  to  me  have  a  disa- 


THE     RELEASE.  121 

greeable  aromatic,  or  ratlier,  musky  taste.  So  I 
stuck  to  plantains,  and  left  my  companions  and 
"  El  Moro"  to  enjoy  a  monopoly  of  guavas. 

Finally,  tlbe  windows  of  lieaven  were  closed,  the 
rain  ceased,  and  the  sun  came  out  with  a  bright, 
well-washed  face.  It  was  none  too  soon,  for  every 
article  which  I  possessed,  clothing,  books,  food,  all 
had  begun  to  spot  and  mould  from  the  damp.  I 
had  myself  a  sympathetic  feeling,  and  dreamed  at 
night  that  I  was  covered  with  a  green  mildew  ; 
dreams  so  vivid  that  I  once  got  up  and  went  out 
naked  in  the  rain,  to  wash  it  oif ! 

After  the  leaves  had  ceased  to  drip,  we  stretched 
lines  between  the  trees,  and  hung  out  our  scanty 
wardrobe  to  dry.  I  rubbed  and  brushed  at  my 
court  suit  of  black,  but  in  vain.  What  with  salt 
water  at  "  El  Koncador,"  and  mould  here,  it  had 
acquired  a  permanent  rusty  and  leprous  look,  which 
half  inclined  me  to  follow  the  Poyer  boy's  sugges- 
tion, and  soak  it  in  palm  oil !  Few  and  simple  as 
were  our  equipments,  it  took  full  two  days  to  redeem 
them  from  the  effects  of  the  damp.  My  gun  more 
resembled  some  of  those  quaint  old  fire-locks  taken 
from  wrecks,  and  exhibited  in  museums,  than  any 
thing  useful  to  the  present  generation.  In  view  of 
all  things,  I  was  fain  to  ejaculate.  Heaven  save  me 
from  another  "  tempoixd"  on  the  Mosquito  Shore  ! 

6 


T  was  three  days  after  tlie  rain  had 
ceased,  before  we  could  embark  on 
the  river,  and  even  then  its  current 
;  was  angry  and  turbid,  and  filled 
with  floating  trees.  We  hugged  the  banks  in  our 
ascent,  darting  from  one  side  of  the  stream  to  the 
other,  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  hack-sets,  or  eddies, 
sometimes  losing,  by  an  unsuccessful  attempt,  all  we 
had  gained  by  half  an  hour  of  hard  paddling.  The 
banks  were  much  torn  by  the  water  ;  in  some  places 
they  had  fallen  in,  carrying  many  trees  into  the 
stream,  where  they  remained  anchored  to  the  shore 
by  the  numerous  tough  vines  that  twined  around 
them.  Elsewhere  the  trees,  half  undermined,  leaned 
heavily  over  the  current,  in  which  the  long  vines 
hung  trailing  in  mournful  masses,  like  the  drooping 
leaves  of  the  funeral  willow.  The  long  grass  on  the 
low  islands  had  been  beaten  down,  and  was  covered 


EL    EIO    GRANDE,  123 

with  a  slimy  deposit,  over  which  stalked  hungry- 
water-birds,  the  snow-white  ibis,  and  long-shanked 
crane,  in  search  of  worms  and  insects,  and  entangled 
fish. 

We  were  occupied  the  whole  day,  in  reaching  the 
first  settlement  on  this  river — a  j)icturesque  collec- 
tion of  low  huts,  in  a  forest  of  joalm,  papaya,  and 
plantain-trees.  Near  it  were  some  considerable 
patches  of  maize,  and  long  reaches  of  yucas,  squash, 
and  melon-vines.  There  were,  in  short,  more  evi- 
dences of  industry  and  thrift  than  I  had  yet  seen  on 
the  entire  coast. 

As  we  approached  the  bank,  in  front  of  the  huts, 
I  observed  that  all  the  inhabitants  were  pure  In- 
dians, whom  my  Poyer  boy  hailed  in  his  own  tongue. 
I  afterward  found  out  that  they  were  Woolwas,  and 
spoke  a  dialect  of  the  same  language  with  the 
Poyers,  and  Cookras,  to  the  northward.  As  at 
Wasswatla,  nearly  all  the  inhabitants  crowded 
down  to  the  shore  to  meet  me,  affording,  with  their 
slight  and  symmetrical  bodies,  and  long,  well- 
ordered,  glossy  black  hair,  a  striking  contrast  to  the 
large-bellied,  and  spotted  mongrels  on  the  Wawa- 
shaan.  I  produced  my  "King-paper,"  and  ad- 
vanced toward  a  couple  of  elderly  men  bearing 
white  wooden  wands,  which  I  at  once  conjectured 
were  insignia  of  authority.  But  no  sooner  did 
they  get  sight  of  my  "  King-paper,"  than  they 
motioned  me  back  with  tokens  of  displeasure, 
exclaiming,  "Sax!  sax!"  which  I  had  no  dif- 
ficulty in  comprehending  meant  "  take  it  away  !" 


124  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

So  I  folded  it  up,  put  it  in  my  pocket,  and  ex- 
tended ray  hand,  whicli  was  taken  by  each,  and 
shaken  in  the  most  formal  manner.  When  the  men 
with  the  wands  had  finished,  all  the  others  came 
forward,  and  went  throu.gh  the  same  ceremony, 
most  of  them  ejaculating,  interrogatively,  NakisTna  ? 
which  appears  to  he  an  exact  equivalent  of  the 
English,  "  How  are  you  ?" 

This  done,  the  men  with  the  wands  beckoned  to  me 
to  follow  them,  which  I  did,  to  a  large  hut,  neatly 
wattled  at  the  sides,  and  closed  by  a  door  of 
canes.  One  of  them  pushed  this  open,  and  I  en- 
tered after  him,  followed  only  by  those  who  had 
wands,  the  rest  clustering  like  bees  around  the 
door,  or  peering  through  the  openings  in  the  wat- 
tled walls.  There  were  several  rough  blocks  of  wood 
in  the  interior,  upon  which  they  seated  themselves, 
placing  me  between  them.  All  this  while  there 
was  an  unbroken  silence,  and  I  was  quite  in  a  fog 
as  to  whether  I  was  held  as  a  guest  or  as  a  prisoner. 
I  looked  into  the  faces  of  my  friends  in  vain  ;  they 
were  as  impassible  as  stones.  I,  however,  felt  re- 
assured when  I  saw  Antonio  at  the  door,  his  face 
wearing  rather  a  pleased  than  alarmed  expression. 

We  sat  thus  a  very  long  time,  as  it  appeared  to 
me,  when  there  was  a  movement  outside,  the  crowd 
separated,  and  a  man  entered,  bearing  a  large 
earthen  vessel  filled  with  liquid,  followed  by  two 
girls,  with  baskets  piled  with  cakes  of  corn  meal, 
fragments  of  some  kind  of  broiled  meat,  and  a 
quantity  of  a  paste  of  plantains,  having  the  "taste  of 


A     WOOLWA     WELCOME.  125 

fi2;s,  and  called  hishire.  The  eldest  of  the  men  of 
wands  filled  a  small  calabash  with  the  liquid, 
touched  it  to  his  lips,  and  passed  it  to  me.  I  did 
the  same,  and  handed  it  to  my  next  neighbor ;  but 
he  motioned  it  back,  exclaiming,  "  Dis  ■'  dis  I" 
drink,  drink  !  I  found  it  to  be  a  species  of  palm- 
wine,  with  which  I  afterward  became  better  ac- 
quainted. It  proved  pleasant  enough  to  the  taste, 
and  I  drained  the  calabash.  Another  one  of  the 
old  men  then  took  up  some  of  the  roast  meat,  tore 
off  and  ate  a  little,  and  handed  the  rest  to  me. 
Not  slow  in  adaptation,  I  took  all  hints,  and  wound 
up  by  making  a  hearty  meal.  The  remnants 
were  then  passed  out  to  Antonio,  who,  however, 
was  permitted  to  wait  on  himself. 

I  made  some  observations  to  Antonio  in  Spanish, 
which  I  perceived  was  understood  by  the  principal 
dignitary  of  the  wands,  who,  after  some  moments, 
informed  me,  in  good  Spanish,  that  the  hut  in 
which  we  were,  was  the  cahildo  of  the  village,  and 
that  it  was  wholly  at  my  service,  so  long  as  I  chose 
to  stay.  He  furthermore  pointed  out  to  me  a  rude 
drum  hanging  in  one  corner,  made  by  stretching 
the  raw  skin  of  some  animal  over  a  section  of  a  hollow 
tree,  upon  which  he  instructed  me  to  beat  in  case  I 
wanted  any  thing.  This  done,  he  rose,  and,  followed 
by  his  companions,  ceremoniously  retired,  leaving 
me  in  quiet  possession  of  the  largest  and  best  hut 
in  the  village.  I  felt  myself  quite  an  important 
personage,  and  ordered  up  my  hammock,  and  the 
various  contents  of  my  canoe,  with  a  dea;ree  of  sat- 


126  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

isfaction  which  I  had  not  experienced  when  waging  a 
war  against  the  pigs,  in  the  "  King's  house"  at 
Wasswatla. 

I  subseqilently  ascertained  that  all  of  the  ideas 
of  government  which  the  Indians  on  this  river  pos- 
sess, were  derived  from  the  Spaniards,  either  de- 
scending to  them  from  former  Spanish  estabhsh- 
ments  here,  or  obtained  from  contact  with  the 
Spaniards  far  up  in  the  interior.  The  principal 
men  were  called  ^^  alcaldes,"  and  many  Spanish 
words  were  in  common  use.  I  discovered  no  trace 
of  negro  blood  among  them,  and  found  that  they 
entertained  a  feeling  of  dislike,  amounting  to  hostil- 
ity, to  the  Mosquito  men.  So  far  as  I  could  ascer- 
tain, while  they  denied  the  authority  of  the  Mos- 
quito king,  they  sent  down  annually  a  certain 
quantity  of  sarsaparilla,  maize,  and  other  articles, 
less  as  tribute  than  as  the  traditionary  price  of 
being  let  alone  by  the  Sambos.  In  former  times,  it 
appeared,  the  latter  lost  no  opportunity  of  kidnap- 
ping their  children  and  women,  and  selling  them  to 
the  Jamaica  traders,  as  slaves.  Indeed,  they  some- 
times undertook  armed  forays  in  the  Indian  terri- 
tory, for  the  purpose  of  taking  prisoners,'  to  be  sold 
to  men  who  made  this  traffic  a  regular  business. 
This  practice  continued  down  to  the  abolition  of 
slavery  in  Jamaica — a  measure  of  which  the  Mos- 
quito men  greatly  complain,  notwithstanding  that 
they  were  not  themselves  exempt  from  being  occa- 
sionally kidnapped. 

The  difficulty  of  entering  the  Kio  Grande,  and 


HABITS     OF     THE     INDIANS.  127 

the  absence  of  any  considerable  traffic  with  the 
natives  on  its  banks,  are  among  the  causes  which 
have  contributed  to  keep  them  free  from  the  de- 
grading influences  that  prevail  on  the  Mosquito 
Shore.  They  rely  chiefly  upon  agriculture  for  their 
support,  and  fish  and  hunt  but  little.  They  have 
abundance  of  maize,  yucas,  cassava,  squashes,  plan- 
tains, papayas,  cocoa-nuts,  and  other  fruits  and 
vegetables,  including  a  few  limes  and  oranges,  as 
also  pigs  and  fowls,  and  higher  up  the  river,  in  the 
savannah  country,  a  few  horned  cattle.  I  observed, 
among  the  domestic  fowls,  the  true  Muscovy  duck, 
and  the  idigenous  hen  or  cliachalaca. 

The  jieople  themselves,  though  not  tall,  are  well- 
made,  and  have  a  remarkably  soft  and  inoffensive 
expression.  The  women — and  especially  the  girls — 
were  exceedingly  shy,  and  always  left  the  huts  when 
I  entered.  The  men  universally  wore  the  ule  tour- 
nou,  or  breech-cloth,  but  the  women  had  in  its 
place  a  piece  of  cotton  cloth  of  their  own  manufac- 
ture, striped  with  blue  and  yellow,  which  hung  half- 
way down  the  thighs,  and  was  supported  above  the 
hij)s  by  being :ljbked  under  in  some  simjjle,  but,  to 
me,  inexplicai^R  manner.-''  The  young  girls  were 
full  and  symmetrical  in  form,  with  fine  busts,  and 
large,  lustrous,  black  eyes,  which,  however,  always 
had  to  me  a  startled,  deer-like  expression.     I  saw 

*  The  blue  dye,  used  in  coloring  by  these  Indians,  is  made  frona 
the  jiquilite,  which,  as  I  have  said,  is  indigenous  on  the  coast.  Tho 
yellow  frona  the  anotta,  called  achiota,  the  same  used  to  give  the  color 
known  as  nankeen.  The  tree  producing  it  is  abundant  throughout 
all  Central  America. 


128  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

no  fire-arms  among  the  men,  although  they  seemed 
to  be  acquainted  with  their  use.  They  had,  in- 
stead, fine  bows  and  arrows,  the  latter  pointed  with 
iron,  or  a  species  of  tough  wood,  hardened  in  the 
fire.  The  boys  universally  had  blow-pipes  or  reeds, 
with  which  they  were  very  expert,  killing  ducks, 
curlews,  and  a  kind  of  red  partridge,  at  the  distance 
of  thirty  and  forty  yards.  The  silence  with  which 
the  light  arrow  is  sped,  enables  the  practiced  hun- 
ter frequently  to  kill  the  greater  part  of  a  flock  or 
covey,  before  the  rest  take  the  alarm. 

My  life  in  the  cabildo  was  unmarked  by  any  ad- 
venture worth  notice.  I  received  plantains,  fowls, 
whatever  I  desired,  Aladdin-like,  by  tapping  the 
drum.  This  was  always  promptly  responded  to  by  a 
couple  of  young  Indians,  who  asked  no  questions,  and 
made  no  replies,  but  did  precisely  what  they  were 
bid.  Neither  they  nor  the  alcaldes  would  accept 
any  thing  in  return  for  what  they  furnished  me,  be- 
yond a  few  red  cotton  handkerchiefs,  and  some 
small  triangular  files,  of  which  old  Hodgson  had 
wisely  instnicted  me  to  take  in  a  small  supply.  They 
all  seemed  to  be  unacquainted  with  the  use  of 
money,  although  not  without  some  notion  of  the 
value  of  gold  and  silver.  I  saw  several  of  the  wo- 
men with  rude,  light  bangles  of  gold,  which  metal, 
the  alcaldes  told  me,  was  found  in  the  sands  of  the 
river,  very  far  up,  among  the  mountains. 

Among  the  customs  of  these  Indians,  there  is  one 
of  a  very  curious  nature,  with  which  I  was  made 
acquainted  by  accident.    Nearly  every  day  I  strolled 


STRANGE    CUSTOMS.  129 

off  in  the  woods,  witli  a  vague  hope  of  some  time 
or  other  encountering  a  waree,  or  wild  hog  (of 
whose  presence  in  the  neighborhood,  an  occasional 
foray  on  the  maize  fields  of  the  Indians  bore  wit- 
ness), or  perhaps  a  peccary,  or  some  other  large 
animal.  As  the  bush  was  thick,  I  seldom  got  far 
from  the  beaten  paths  of  the  natives,  and  had  to 
content  myself  with  now  and  then  shooting  a 
curassoiv,  in  Heu  of  higher  game.  One  day,  I 
ventured  rather  further  up  the  river  than  usual, 
and  came  suddenly  upon  an  isolated  hut.  Being 
thirsty,  I  approached  with  a  view  of  obtaining  some 
water.  I  had  got  within  perhaps  twenty  paces, 
when  two  old  women  dashed  out  toward  me,  with 
vehement  cries,  motioning  me  away  with  the  wild- 
est gestures,  and  catching  up  handfuls  of  leaves 
and  throwing  them  toward  me.  I  thought  this 
rather  inhospitable,  and  at  first  was  disposed  not  to 
leave.  But,  finally,  thinking  there  must  be  some 
reason  for  all  this,  and  seeing  that  the  women  ap- 
peared rather  distressed  than  angry,  I  retracted  my 
steps.  I  afterward  found,  upon  inquiry,  that  the 
hut  was  what  is  called  tabooed  by  the  South  Sea 
Islanders,  and  devoted  to  the  women  of  the  village, 
during  their  confinement.  As  this  period  ap- 
proaches, they  retire  to  this  secluded  j)lace,  where 
they  remain  in  the  care  of  two  old  women  for  two 
moons,  passing  through  lustrations  or  purifications 
unknown  to  the  men.  While  the  woman  is  so  con- 
fined to  the  hut,  no  one  is  allowed  to  approach  it, 
and  all  persons  are  especially  cautious  not  to  pass  it 
6* 


130  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

to  the  ■windward,  for  it  is  imagined  that  by  so  doing 
the  wind,  which  supplies  the  breath  of  the  newly- 
born  child,  would  be  taken  away,  and  it  would  die. 
This  singular  notion,  I  afterward  discovered,  is  also 
entertained  by  the  Mosquito  people,  who  no  doubt 
derived  it  from  their  Indian  progenitors. 

The  course  of  life  of  the  Indians  appeared  to  be 
exceedingly  regular  and  monotonous.  Both  men 
and  women  found  abundant  occupation  during  the 
day ;  they  went  to  bed  early,  and  rose  with  the 
dawn.  Although  most  of  them  had  hammocks, 
they  universally  slept  on  what  are  called  crickeries, 
or  platforms  of  canes,  supported  on  forked  posts, 
and  covered  with  variously-colored  mats,  woven  of 
the  bark  of  palm  branches.  I  observed  no  drunken- 
ness among  them,  and  altogether  they  were  quiet, 
well-ordered,  and  industrious.  In  all  their  relations 
with  me,  they  were  respectful  and  obliging,  but  ex- 
ceedingly reserved.  I  endeavored  to  break  through 
then-  taciturnity,  but  without  success.  Hence,  after 
a  few  days  had  passed,  and  the  novelty  had  worn  off, 
I  began  to  weary  of  inactivity.  So  I  one  day  pro- 
posed to  the  principal  alcalde,  that  he  should 
undertake  a  hunt  for  the  tilhia,  mountain  cow,  or 
tapir,  and  the  peccary,  or  Mexican  hog.  He  re- 
ceived the  proposition  deferentially,  but  suggested 
that  the  manitus,  or  sea-cow,  was  a  more  wonderful 
animal  than  either  of  those  I  had  named,  and  that 
it  would  not  be  difficult  to  find  one  in  the  river.  I 
took  up  the  hint  eagerly,  as  I  had  already  caught 
one  or  two  glimpses  of  the  manitus,   which  had 


THE     MANITUS.  131 

greatly  roused  my  curiosity.  The  drum  was  there- 
upon beaten,  and  the  alcaldes  convened  to  consult 
upon  the  matter.  They  all  came  with  their  wands, 
and  after  due  deliberation,  fixed  upon  the  next 
night  for  the  expedition.  Boats  were  accordingly 
got  ready,  and  the  hunters  sharpened  their  lanceh 
and  harpoons.  The  latter  resembled  very  much 
the  ordinary  whaling  harpoons,  but  were  smaller  in 
size.  The  lances  were  narrow  and  sharp,  and 
attached  to  thin  staffs,  of  a  very  tough  and  heavy 
wood.  Notwithstanding  that  Antonio  smiled  and 
shook  his  head,  I  cleaned  my  gun  elaborately,  and 
loaded  it  heavily  with  ball. 

Before  narrating  our  adventure  in  the  pursuit  of 
the  manitus,  it  will  not  be  amiss  to  explain  that 
this  animal  is  probably  the  most  remarkable  one 
found  under  the  tropics,  being  amphibious,  and  the 
apparent  connecting  link  between  quadrupeds  and 
fishes.  It  may  perhaps  be  better  compared  to  the 
seal,  in  its  general  characteristics,  than  to  any  other 
sea-animal.  It  has  the  two  fore  feet,  or  rather 
hands,  but  the  hind  feet  are  wanting,  or  only  appear 
as  rudiments  beneath  the  skin.  Its  head  is  thick 
and  heavy,  and  has  something  the  appearance  of 
that  of  a  hornless  cow.  It  has  a  broad,  flat  tail,  or 
integument,  spreading  out  horizontally,  like  a  fan. 
The  skin  is  dark,  corrugated,  and  so  thick  and  hard 
that  a  bullet  can  scarcely  penetrate  it.  A  few  scat- 
tered hairs  appear  on  its  body,  which  has  a  general 
resemblance  of  that  of  the  hippopotamus.  There 
are  several  varieties  of  the  manitus,  but  it  is  an 


132  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

animal-  whicli  appears  to  be  little  known  to  natural- 
ists. Its  habits  are  very  imperfectly  understood, 
and  tbe  natives  tell  many  extraordinary  stories 
about  it,  alleging,  among  other  things,  that  it  can 
be  tamed.  It  is  herbivorous,  feeding  on  the  long 
tender  shoots  of  grass  growing  on  the  banks  of  the 
rivers,  and  will  rise  nearly  half  of  its  length  out  of 
water  to  reach  its  food.  It  is  never  found  on  the 
land,  where  it  would  be  utterly  helpless,  since  it 
can  neither  walk  nor  crawl. 

It  is  commonly  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  long,  huge 
and  unwieldy,  and  weighing  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
hundred  pounds.  It  has  breasts  placed  between 
its  paws,  and  suckles  its  young.  The  male  and 
female  are  usually  found  together.  It  is  extremely 
acute  in  its  sense  of  hearing,  and  immerges  itself 
in  the  water  at  the  slightest  noise.  Great  tact  and 
caution  are  therefore  necessary  to  kiU  it,  and  a 
manitee  hunt  puts  in  requisition  all  the  craft  and 
skill  of  the  Indians. 

The  favorite  hour  for  feeding,  with  the  manitus, 
is  the  early  morning,  during  the  dim,  gray  dawn. 
In  consequence  I  was  called  up  to  join  the  hunters 
not  long  after  midnight.  Two  large  pitpans,  each 
holding  four  or  five  men,  were  put  in  requisition, 
and  we  paddled  rapidly  uj)  the  river,  for  several 
hours,  to  the  top  of  a  long  reach,  where  there  were 
a  number  of  low  islands,  covered  with  grass,  and 
where  the  banks  were  skirted  by  swamj)y  savan- 
nahs. Here  many  bushes  were  cut,  and  thrown 
lightly  over  the  boats,  so  as  to  make  them  resemble 


HUNTING     THE     MANITUS. 


133 


floating  trees.  We  waited  i^atiently  until  tlie 
proper  hoiir  arrived,  when  the  boats  were  cast  loose 
from  the  shore,  and  we  drifted  down  with  the  cur- 
rent. One  man  was  placed  in  the  stern  with  a 
paddle  to  steer,  another  with  a  harpoon  and  line 


HUNTING    THE    MANITUS. 


crouched  in  the  bow,  while  the  rest,  keeping  their 
long  keen  lances  clear  of  impediments,  knelt  on  the 
bottom.  We  glided  down  in  perfect  silence,  one 
boat  close  to  each  bank.  I  kept  my  eyes  opened 
to  the  widest,  and  in  the  dim  light  got  quite  ex- 
cited over  a  dozen  logs  or  so,  which  I  mistook  for 
manitee.  But  the  hunters  made  no  sign,  and  we 
drifted  on,  until  I  got  im]3atient,  and  began  to 
fear  that  our  expedition  might  prove  a  failure. 
But  of  a  sudden,  when  I  least  expected  it,  the  man 
in  the  bow  launched  his  harpoon.  The  movement 
was  followed  by  a  heavy  plunge,  and  in  an  instant 
the  boat  swung  round,  head  to  the  stream.     Before 


134  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

I  could  fairly  comprehend  wliat  was  going  on,  the 
boughs  were  all  thrown  overboard,  and  the  men 
stood  with  their  long  lances  poised,  ready  for  in- 
stant use.  AVe  had  run  out  a  large  part  of  the 
slack  of  the  harpoon-line,  which  seemed  to  be  fast 
to  some  immovable  object.  The  bowsman,  how- 
ever, now  began  to  gather  it  in,  dragging  up  the 
boat  slowly  against  the  current.  Suddenly  the 
manitus,  for  it  was  one,  left  his  hold  on  the  bottom, 
and  started  diagonally  across  the  river,  trailing  us 
rapidly  after  him.  This  movement  gradually 
brought  him  near  the  surface,  as  we  could  see  by 
the  commotion  of  the  water.  Down  darted  one  of 
the  lances,  and  under  again  went  the  manitus,  now 
taking  his  course  -with  the  current,  down  the 
stream.  The  other  boat,  meantime,  had  come  to 
our  assistance,  hovering  in  front  of  us,  in  order  to 
fasten  another  harpoon  the  instant  the  victim 
should  approach  near  enough  to  the  surface.  An 
opportunity  soon  offered,  and  he  received  the  second 
harpoon  and  another  lance  at  the  same  instant.  All 
this  time  I  had  both  barrels  of  my  gun  cocked, 
feverishly  awaiting  my  chance  for  a  shot.  Soon  the 
struggles  of  the  animal  became  less  violent,  and  he 
several  times  came  involuntarily  to  the  surface.  I 
watched  my  chance,  when  his  broad  head  rose  in 
sight,  and  discharged  both  barrels,  at  a  distance  of 
thirty  feet,  startling  the  hunters  quite  as  much  as 
they  had  disconcerted  me.  It  was  the  Lord's  own 
mercy  that  some  of  them  did  not  get  shot  in  the 
general  scramble  ! 


A     DISAPPOINTMENT.  135 

Tlie  manitus,  after  receiving  tlie  second  harpoon, 
became  nearly  helpless,  and  the  Indians,  apparently 
secure  of  their  object,  allowed  the  boats  to  drift 
with  him  quietly  down  the  river.  Occasionally  he 
made  an  ineffectual  attempt  to  dive  to  the  bottom, 
dashing  the  water  into  foam  in  his  efforts,  but  long 
before  we  reached  the  village  he  floated  at  the  sur- 
face, quite  dead.  The  morning  was  bright  and 
clear  when  we  paddled  ashore,  where  we  found 
every  inhabitant  of  the  place  clustering  to  meet  us. 
When  they  saw  that  we  had  been  successful,  they 
set  up  loud  shouts,  and  clapped  their  hands  with 
vigor,  whence  (as  this  was  the  only  manifestation  of 
excitement  which  I  had  seen)  I  inferred  that  the 
capture  of  a  manitus  was  regarded  as  something  of 
a  feat,  even  on  the  Mosquito  Shore. 

Eopes  were  speedily  attached  to  the  dead  animal, 
at  which  every  body  seemed  anxious  to  get  a  chance 
to  pull,  and  it  was  dragged  up  the  bank  triumph- 
antly, amid  vehement  shouts.  I  had  been  some- 
what piqued  at  the  contempt  in  which  my  gun  had 
been  held,  and  had  been  not  a  little  ambitious  of 
being  able  to  say  that  I  had  killed  a  manitus,  and 
as,  after  my  shot,  the  animal  had  almost  entirely 
ceased  its  struggles,  I  thought  it  possible  I  had 
given  it  the  final  coiip,  and  might  conscientiously 
get  up  a  tolerable  brag  on  my  adventure,  over 
Mr.  Sly's  punch,  when  I  returned  to  New  York. 
It  was  with  some  anxiety,  therefore,  that  I  investi- 
gated its  ugly  head,  only  to  find  that  my  balls  had 
hardly  penetrated  the  skin,  and  that  the  hide  of  the 


136 


THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 


manitus  is  j)roof  against  any  thing  in  the  shape  of 
firearms,  except,  perhaps,  a  Minie  rifle.  And  thus 
I  was  cheated  out  of  another  chance  for  immortal- 
ity !  Lest,  however,  my  story  that  the  hide  of  the 
manitus  is  an  inch  thick,  and  tough  as  whale- 
bone, should  not  be  credited,  I  had  a  strip  of  it  cut 
off,  which,  when  dried,  became  like  horn,  and  a  ter- 
ror to  dogs,  in  all  my  subsequent  rambles.  I  suspect 
there  are  some  impertinent  curs  here,  in  New  York, 
who  entertain  stinging  recollections  of  that  same 
strip  of  manitus-hide  !  Dr.  Pounder,  my  old  school- 
master, I  am  sure,  would  sacrifice  his  eyes,  or  per- 
haps, what  is  of  equal  consequence,  his  spectacles, 
to  obtain  it  ! 

But  while  my  balls  were  thus  impotent,  I  found 
that  the  lances  of  the  Indians  had  literally  gone 
through  and  through  the  manitus.     The  harpoons 


MANITEE     HARPOON      AND      LANCES. 


did  not  penetrate  far,  their  purpose  being  simpl^^  to 
fasten  the  animal.  The  lances  were  the  fatAl  in- 
struments, and  I  afterwards  saw  a  young  Indian - 
drive  his  completely  through  the  trunk  of  a  full- 
grown  palm-tree.  This  variety  of  lance  is  called 
silak,  and  is  greatly  prized. 

There  were  great  doings  in  the  village  over  the 


DIVIDING.    THE     SPOIL.  137 

manitus.  Beneatli  the  skin  there  was  a  deep  layer 
of  very  sweet  fat,  below  which  ajipeared  the  flesh, 
closely  resembling  beef,  but  coarser,  and  streaked 
throughout  with  layers  of  fat.  This,  when  broiled 
before  the  fire,  proved  to  be  tender,  well-flavored, 
and  altogether  delicious  food.  The  tail  is  esteemed 
the  most  delicate  part,  and,  as  observed  by  Captain 
Henderson,  who  had  a  trial  of  it  on  the  same  shore, 
"  is  a  dish  of  which  Apicius  might  have  been  proud, 
and  which  the  discriminating  palate  of  Heliogoba- 
lus  would  have  thought  entitled  to  the  most  distin- 
guished reward  !"  The  better  and  more  substantial 
part  of  the  animal,  namely,  the  flesh,  was  carefully 
cut  in  strips,  rubbed  with  salt,  and,  hung  in  the  sun 
to  dry,  made  into  what  the  Spaniards  call  tasojo. 
The  other  portions  were  distributed  among  the  va- 
rious huts,  and  the  tail  was  presented  to  me.  When 
I  came  to  leave,  I  found  that  the  cured  or  tasajoed 
flesh  had  also  been  preserved  for  my  use.  Broiled 
on  the  coals,  it  proved  quite  equal  to  any  thing  I 
ever  tasted,  and  as  sweet  as  dried  venison.  And 
here  I  may  mention  that  the  flesh  of  the  manitus, 
like  that  of  the  turtle,  is  not  only  excellent  food, 
but  its  effects  on  the  system  are  beneficial,  particu- 
larly in  the  cases  of  persons  afilicted  with  scorbutic 
or  scrofulous  complaints.  It  is  said  these  find 
speedy  relief  from  its  free  use,  and  that,  in  the 
course  of  a  few  weeks,  the  disease  entirely  disap- 
pears. 


^^   ^sSd 


IT  the  end  of  two  weeks,  I  signified 
to  my  friends  that  I  should  be  com- 
pelledj  on  the  following  day,  to 
leave  them,  and  pursue  my  voyage 
up  the  coast.  I  had  supposed  that 
there  existed  an  interior  connection  between  Great 
River  and  the  lagoons  which  led  to  Cape  Gracias, 
but  found  that  they  commenced  with  a  stream  some 
twenty  miles  to  the  northward,  called  "  Snook 
Creek,"  and  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  trust  our 
little  boat  again  to  the  sea. 

The  announcement  of  my  intended  departure  was 
received  without  the  slightest  manifestion  of  feel- 
ing, but,  during  the  evening,  the  inhabitants  vied 
with  each  other  in  loading  the  canoe  with  fruits 
and  provisions.  They  were,  in  fact,  so  lavish  of 
their  presents,  that  I  was  unable  to  accept  them 
all,  and  had  to  leave  more  than  half  of  what  they 


AFLOAT,     ONCK     M  U  KK  !  139 

brought  me.  I,  nevertheless,  made  special  room 
for  the  tasajoed  manitus,  and  took  all  the  hishire 
which  was  brought.  As  I  have  already  explained, 
the  hishire  is  a  paste  made  of  ripe  plantains,  hav- 
ing about  the  consistency,  and  very  much  the  taste, 
of  dried  figs.  It  is  made  into  rolls,  closely  wrapped 
in  the  leaves  of  the  tree  on  which  it  grows,  which 
preserve  it  perfectly,  and  it  thus  becomes  an  article 
of  prime  value  to  the  voyager.* 

I  left  the  village  with  as  much  ceremony  as  I  had 
entered  it.  The  Alcaldes  bearing  their  wands, 
escorted  me  down  to  the  water,  where  I  was  obliged 
to  shake  hands  with  all  the  people,  each  one  ex- 
claiming, ^' Disahia /"  equivalent  to  "Good-bye!" 

*  The  plantain  and  the  banana  are  varieties  of  the  same  plant. 
They  not  only  constitute  marked  features  in  the  luxuriant  foliage  of 
the  tropics,  but  their  fruit  supplies  the  place  of  bread,  and  forms  the 
principal  part  of  the  food  of  the  people.  They  thrive  best  in  a  rich, 
moist  soil,  and  are  generally  grown  in  regular  walks,  from  shoots  or 
bulbs  like  those  of  the  air-plant,  which  continually  spring  up  at  the 
roots  of  the  parent  stem.  They  are  very  rapid  in  their  growth,  pro- 
ducing fruit  within  a  twelvemonth.  Moreover,  not  being  dependent 
upon  the  seasons,  a  constant  supply  is  kept  up  during  the  year ;  for, 
while  one  stem  drops  beneath  its  load  of  ripe  fruit,  another  throws 
out  its  long  floj^^er-spike,  and  a  third  shows  the  half-formed  cluster. 
The  fruit  is  very  nutritive,  and  is  eaten  in  a  great  variety  of  forms — 
raw,  boUed,  roasted,  and  fried — and  in  nearly  every  stage  of  its  growth, 
as  well  when  green  as  when  yellow  and  mature.  Humboldt  tells 
us,  that  it  affords,  in  a  given  extent  of  ground,  forty-four  times  more 
nutritive  matter  than  the  potato,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-three 
times  more  than  wheat.  As  it  requires  httle  if  any  care  in  the  culti- 
vation, and  produces  thus  perennially  and  abundantly,  it  may  be 
called  an  "  institution  for  the  encouragement  of  laziness."  On  the 
banks  of  all  the  rivers  on  the  Mosquito  Shore,  it  is  found  growing 
wild,  from  shoots  brought  down  from  the  plantations  of  the  In- 
dians, and  which  have  taken  root  where  they  were  lodged  by  the 
current.  * 


140  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

They  stood  on  the  bank  until  we  were  entu'ely  out 
of  sight.  I  left  them  with  admiration  for  their 
primitive  habits,  and  genuine  though  formal  hospi- 
tality. Although,  in  their  taciturnity,  they  were 
not  unlike  our  own  Indians,  yet,  in  all  other  re- 
spects, they  afforded  a  very  striking  contrast  to 
them.  The  North  American  savage  disdains  to 
work  ;  his  ambition  lies  in  war  and  the  chase  ;  but 
the  gentler  dweller  under  the  tropics  is  often  indus- 
trious, and  resorts  to  hunting  only  as  an  accessory 
to  agriculture. 

The  ceremonies  of  my  departure  had  occupied  so 
much  time  that,  when  we  reached  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  it  was  too  late  to  venture  outside.  So  we 
took  up  our  quarters,  for  the  night,  in  our  old  en- 
campment, on  the  island.  The  moon  was  out,  and 
the  evening  was  exceedingly  beautiful — so  beauti- 
ful, indeed,  that  I  might  have  fallen  into  heroics, 
had  it  not  been  for  a  most  infernal  concert  kept  up 
by  wild  animals  on  the  river's  banks.  I  at  first  sup- 
posed that  all  the  ferocious  beasts  of  the  forest  had 
congregated,  preparatory  to  a  general  fight,  and 
comforted  myself  that  we  were  separated  from  them 
by  the  river.  There  were  unearthly  groans,  and 
angry  snarls,  and  shrieks,  so  like  those  of  human 
beings  in  distress  as  to  send  a  thrill  through  every 
nerve.  At  times  the  noises  seemed  blended,  and 
became  sullen  and  distant,  and  then  so  sharp  and 
near  that  I  could  hardly  persuade  myself  they  were 
not  produced  on  the  island  itself.  I  should  have 
passed  the  night  in  alarm,  had  not  Antonio  been 


NOCTURNAL      NOISES.  141 

there  to  explain  to  me  that  most,  if  not  all  these 
sounds  came  from  what  the  Spaniards  call  the 
"  mojio  Colorado,"  or  howling  monkey.  I  after- 
ward saw  a  specimen — a  large,  ugly  beast,  of  a 
dirty,  brick-red  color,  with  a  long  beard,  but  other- 
wise like  an  African  baboon.  Different  from  most 
other  monkeys,  they  remain  in  nearly  the  same 
places,  and  have  favorite  trees,  in  which  an  entire 
troop  will  take  up  its  quarters  at  night,  and  open  a 
horrible  serenade,  that  never  fails  to  fill  the  mind 
of  the  inexperienced  traveler  with  the  most  dismal 
fancies.  Notwithstanding  Antonio's  explanations, 
they  so  disturbed  my  slumbers  that  I  got  up  about 
midnight,  and,  going  down  to  the  edge  of  the 
water,  fired  both  barrels  of  my  gun  in  the  direction 
of  the  greatest  noise.  But  I  advise  no  one  to  try  a 
similar  experiment.  All  the  water-birds  and  wild 
fowl  roosting  in  the  trees  gave  a  sudden  flutter,  and 
set  up  responsive  croaks  and  screams,  from  which 
the  monkeys  seemed  to  derive  great  encourage- 
ment, and  redoubled  their  howling.  I  was  glad 
when  the  unwonted  commotion  ceased,  and  the  deni- 
zens of  the  forest  relapsed  again  into  their  chronic 
serenade. 

A  large  proportion  of  tropical  animals  are  em- 
phatically "  children  of  the  night."  It  is  at  night 
that  the  tiger  and  maneless  Mexican  lion  leave 
their  lairs,  and  range  the  dense  forests  in  pursuit 
of  their  prey,  rousing  the  peccary  and  tapir  from 
their  haunts,  and  sending  them  to  seek  refuge  in 
the  thickets,  where  crashing  of  bushes  and  splash- 


142  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

ings  in  hidden  pools  testify  to  the  blind  fear  of  the 
jjursued,  and  the  fierce  instincts  of  the  pursuers, 
A  sudden  plunge  of  the  alligator  from  the  banks, 
Avill  startle  the  wild  birds  on  the  overhanging  trees, 
and  in  an  instant  the  forest  resounds  to  the  wild 
cries  of  the  tiger,  the  j)laints  of  the  frightened 
monkeys,  and  the  shrieks  and  croaks  of  the  numer- 
ous water-fowl ;  while  the  wakeful  traveler  starts 
up  and  hastily  grasps  his  faithful  gun,  surprised  to 
find  the  wilderness,  which  was  so  still  and  slumber- 
ous under  the  noonday  heats,  now  terrible  with 
savage  and  waning  life. 

Toward  morning  the  commotion  in  the  forest 
subsided,  and  I  was  enabled  to  snatch  a  few  hours 
of  slumber.  I  awoke  to  find  the  sun  just  streaking 
the  horizon,  and  the  boat  all  ready  for  departure. 
Antonio  had  cut  two  trunks  of  the  buoyant  molioe 
tree,  which  were  lashed  to  the  sides  of  our  boat  to 
act  as  floats,  and  j^revent  us  from  being  overturned 
by  any  sudden  flaw  of  the  wind.  We  passed  the 
bar  without  much  trouble,  and  made  a  good  offing, 
before  laying  our  course  for  "  Snook  Creek."  The 
wind  was  fresh,  and  the  water  bright  and  j^layful 
under  the  blue  and  cloudless  sky.  I  leaned  over 
the  side  of  our  frail  boat — scarce  a  speck  in  the  broad 
breast  of  the  ocean — and  watched  the  numerous 
marine  animals  and  mollusca  that  floated  past  ; 
the  nautilus,  "  small  commodore,"  with  its  tiny  sail 
and  rosy  prow,  the  pulsating  rhizostoma,  and  the 
hernice,  with  its  silken  hair — most  fragile  forms  of 
life,  and  yet  unharmed  dwellers  in  the  mighty  sea, 


MONOTINOUS      SHOKE. 


143 


which  mocks   at  the  strength  of  iron,  and  under- 
mines continents  in  its  wrath  ! 

During  the  afternoon  we  came  close  in  shore, 
keeping  a  sharp  look-out  for  the  mouth  of  "  Snook 
Creek."     There  are,  however,  no  landmarks  on  the 


MOLLUSCA    OF   THE    CARIBBEAN     SEA. 


entire  coast ;  throughout  it  wore  the  same  flat,  mo- 
notonous appearance — a  narrow  strip  of  sand  in  front 
of  a  low  impenetrable  forest,  in  which  the  fierce 
north-easters  had  left  no  large  trees  standing. 
Hence  it  is  almost  impossible  for  voyagers,  not  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  the  shore,  to  determine  their 
230sition.  My  Poyer  boy  had  coasted  here  but  once, 
and  I  found,  toward  evening,  that  he  was  of  ojDinion 
that  we  had  passed  the  mouth  of  the  creek  of  which 
we  were  in  search.  So  we  resolved  to  stand  along 
the  shore  for  either  Walpasixa  or  Prinza-pulka, 
where  part  of  the  hull  of  an  American  ship,  wrecked 
sometime  before,  still  remained  as  a  guide  to 
voyagers. 

As  the  sun  went  down,  the  wind  fell,  and  the 


144  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

moon  came  up,  shedding  its  light  upon  the  broad, 
smooth  swells  of  the  sea,  silver-burnished  upon  one 
side,  and  on  the  other  dark  but  clear,  like  the 
shadows  on  polished  steel.  We  lowered  our  useless 
sail,  and  my  companions  took  their  paddles,  keep- 
ing time  to  a  kind  of  chant,  led  off  by  Antonio,  the 
Poyer  boy  joining  in  the  swelling  chorus.  The 
melody  was  very  simple,  and,  like  that  of  all  purely 
Indian  chants,  sad  and  plaintive.  I  have  often 
thought,  in  listening  to  them,  that  they  were  the 
wails  of  a  people  conscious  of  their  decay,  over  a 
continent  slipping  from  their  grasp,  and  a  power 
broken  forever  ! 


ox    THE     JIOOXLIT    SEAl 

I  lay  long,  watching  the  shore  as  it  glided  past, 
and  listening  to  the  tinkle  of  the  water  under  our 
prow,  but  finally  fell  into  a  deep  and  dreamless 
slumber,  rocked  by  the  ocean  in  its  gentlest  mood. 
When  I  awoke  we  had  already  passed  the  Prinza- 
pulka  bar,  and  were  fastened  to  the  branches  of  a 
large  tree,  which  had  become  entanged  among  the 


VINES     AND     VERDURE.  145 

mangroves,  on  tlio  banks  of  the  river.  It  was  with 
no  small  degree  of  satisfaction  that  I  found  we  had 
now  an  uninterrupted  river  and  lagoon  navigation 
to  Cape  Gracias,  and  that  we  should  not  again  be 
obliged  to  venture,  with  our  little  boat,  upon  the 
open  sea. 

The  Prinza-pulka  seemed  rather  an  estuary  than 
a  river,  and  was  lined  with  an  impenetrable  forest 
of  mangroves.  These  were  covered  with  flocks  of 
the  white  ibis,  and,  as  we  advanced  up  the  stream, 
we  came  upon  others  of  a  rose  color,  looking  like 
houquets  of  flowers  among  the  green  leaves  of  the 
trees. 

At  the  distance  of  three  miles,  the  river  banks 
grew  higher,  although  densely  covered  with  wild 
plants  and  vines,  which  seemed  to  have  subdued 
the  forest.  The  few  trees  that  were  left  were  clus- 
tered all  over  with  twining  rope-plants,  or  lianes, 
sometimes  hanging  down  and  swinging  in  mid-air, 
and  again  stretched  to  the  ground,  like  the  cord- 
age of  a  ship,  supporting  in  turn,  hundreds  of 
creepers,  with  leaves  of  translucent  green,  and 
loaded  with  clusters  of  bright  flowers.  An  oc- 
casional fan-palm  thrust  itself  above  the  tangled 
verdure,  as  if  struggling  for  light  and  air  ;  while  the 
broad  leaves  of  the  wild  plantain  emerged  here  and 
there  in  groups,  and  the  slender  stalks  of  the 
bamboo-cane,  fringed  with  delicate  leaves  like  those 
of  the  willow,  bent  gracefully  over  the  water.  At 
the  foot  of  this  emerald  wall  was  a  strij)  of  slimy 
earth,  and  I  observed   (^ccosional  holes,  or  tunnel- 


146  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

like  apertures,  through  which  the  alligator  trailed 
his  hideous  length,  or  the  larger  land-animals  came 
down  to  the  water  to  drink.  As  we  glided  by  one 
of  these  openings,  a  tapir  suddenly  projected  his 
head  and  ugly  proboscis,  but,  startled  by  our  canoe, 
as  suddenly  withdrcAV  it,  and  disappeared  in  the 
dark  recesses  of  the  impenetrable  jungle,  in  which 
it  is  beyond  the  power  of  man  to  penetrate,  except 
he  laboriously  carves  his  way,  foot  by  foot,  in  the 
matted  mass. 

About  ten  o'clock  we  reached  the  mouth  of  a 
narrow  creek,  or  stream,  diverging  from  the  river 
under  a  complete  canopy  of  verdure.  Up  this  creek, 
my  Poyer  assured  me,  the  Prinza-pulka  village  was 
situated.  So  we  paddled  in,  and,  after  many  wind- 
ings, finally  came  where  the  vegetation  was  less 
rank,  and  the  banks  were  higher  and  firmer.  I 
began  to  breathe  freer,  for  the  air  within  these 
tropical  fastnesses  seemed  to  me  loaded  with  mias- 
matic damps,  like  the  atmosphere  of  a  vault.  As 
we  proceeded,  the  country  became  more  and  more 
open,  and  the  water  clearer,  revealing  a  gravelly 
bottom,  until,  at  last,  to  my  surprise,  we  came  upon 
broad  savannahs,  fringed,  along  the  water,  by 
narrow  belts  of  trees.  Through  these  I  caught 
glimpses  of  gentle  swells  and  undulations  of  land, 
upon  which,  to  my  further  amazement,  I  saw 
clumps  of  pine-trees  !  I  had  supposed  the  pine  to 
be  found  only  in  high,  temperate  latitudes,  and 
could  scarcely  believe  that  it  grew  here,  side  by 
side  with  the  palm,  almost  on  a  level  with  the  sea. 


A    DOUBTFUL     RECEPTION.  147 

until  I  was  assured  by  my  Poyer  that  it  abounded 
in  all  the  savannahs,  and  covered  all  the  plateaus 
and  mountains  of  the  interior, 

A  bend  in  the  creek  brought  us  suddenly  in  view 
of  a  group  of  canoes,  drawn  up  on  the  shore,  in 
front  of  a  few  scattered  huts.  One  or  two  women, 
engaged  in  some  occupation  at  the  edge  of  the 
water,  fled  when  they  saw  us,  scrambling  up  the 
bank  in  evident  alarm.  As  we  approached  nearer, 
I  saw  through  the  bushes  a  number  of  men  hurry- 
ing back  and  forth,  and  calling  to  each  other  in 
excited  voices.  Before  we  had  fairly  reached  the 
landing-place,  they  had  collected  among  the  canoes, 
whence  they  motioned  us  back  with  violent  ges- 
tures. Some  were  armed  with  spears,  others  had 
bows  and  arrows,  and  two  or  three  carried  muskets, 
which  they  pointed  at  us  in  a  very  careless  and  un- 
pleasant manner.  I  observed  that  they  were  Sam- 
bos, like  those  at  Wasswatla,  equally  frizzled  about 
the  head,  and  spotted  with  the  hulpis.  Whenever 
we  attempted  to  approach,  they  shouted  "  Biis  I 
hus  '"  and  raised  their  weapons.  The  Poyer  boy 
responded  by  calling  "  Wita"  i.  e.,  chief,  or  head 
man.  Hereupon  one  of  the  number  came  forward  a 
little,  and  inquired  "  Inglis  ?  Inglis  ?"  pointing  to 
me,  I  held  up  my  pass,  and,  remembering  Wass- 
watla, pointed  to  it,  exclaiming,  "  King  paper  ! 
king  paper  !"  This  seemed  to  jjroduce  an  impres- 
sion, and  we  made  a  movement  to  land,  but  up 
came  the  guns  again,  their  muzzles  looking  as  large 
as  church  doors.    Things  certainly  appeared  squally, 


148  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

and  I  was  a  little  puzzled  wliat  to  do.  Prudence 
suggested  that  we  should  retreat,  but  then  that 
might  be  understood  as  an  evidence  of  fear,  which, 
with  savages,  as  with  wild  beasts,  is  a  sure  way  of 
inviting  attack.  I  preferred,  therefore,  to  await 
quietly  the  result  of  a  conference  which  seemed  to 
be  going  on,  and  in  which  I  noticed  I  was  frequently 
pointed  out,  with  very  suggestive  gestures.  While 
this  was  going  on,  Antonio  carefully  got  out  my 
gun  and  revolver,  handing  me  the  latter  in  such  a 
manner  as  not  to  attract  notice.  He  had  evinced 
a  high  consideration  for  it,  ever  since  it  had  played 
so  large  a  part  in  my  first  interview  with  the  patron 
at  "  El  Eoncador." 

After  much  debate,  two  of  the  Sambos,  including 
the  head  man,  pushed  off  to  us  in  a  canoe,  under 
the  cover  of  the  weapons  of  those  on  shore.  They, 
however,  fell  back  in  evident  alarm  when  they 
caught  sight  of  my  revolver.  I  therefore  laid  it 
down,  extended  both  open  hands,  and  hailed  them 
with  the  Mosquito  salutation,  which  applies  equally 
at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night,  "  Good  morning  \" 
They  replied,  with  the  universal  drawl,  "  Mornin', 
sir !"  I  put  my  "  king  paper"  forward,  very  con- 
spicuously, and  read  it  through  to  them,  no  doubt 
to  their  edification.  The  head  man  said,  "  Good  ! 
good  \"  when  I  had  finished,  but  nevertheless 
seemed  suspicious  of  the  contents  of  our  boat,  in- 
quiring, in  a  broken  way,  for  "  Osnabergs,"  and 
^^  pauda,"  or  powder.  I  explained  to  them,  as  well 
as  I  could,  that  we  were  not  traders,  which  piece  of 


VILLAGE     OF     QUAMWATLA.  14y 

information  did  not  seem  to  j)lease  them.  But 
•when  they  caught  sight  of  my  demijohn,  they 
evinced  more  amiahihty,  which  I  hastened  to 
heighten  by  giving  them  a  cahxbash  of  the  contents. 
They  afterward  signified  their  willingness  to  let 
me  go  ashore,  if  I  would  first  give  them  my  gun 
and  revolver,  which  I  sternly  and  peremptorily  refus- 
ed to  do.  They  finally  paddled  to  the  shore,  motion- 
ing for  us  to  follow.  Upon  landing,  I  gave  them 
each  a  dram,  which  was  swallowed  in  a  breath, 
with  unequivocal  signs  of  relish.     The  head  men. 


"^*;^ 


VILLAGE    01''    QUAMWATLA. 

after  another  ineffectual  attempt  to  induce  me  to 
surrender  my  revolver,  led  the  way  up  the  bank, 
Antonio  and  the  Poyer  boy  remaining  with  the 
canoe. 

The  village  was  very  straggling  and  squalid,  al- 
though the  position  was  one  of  great  beauty.  It 
stood  on  the  edge  of  an  extensive  savannah,  cov- 
ered  thickly   with   coarse   grass,  and   dotted    over 


150  THE    MOSQUITO    SHOKE. 

with  little  clusters  of  bushes,  and  clumps  of  dark 
pines,  more  resembling  a  ricli  j)ark,  laid  out  with 
consummate  skill,  than  a  scene  on  a  wild  and  un- 
known shore,  under  the  tropics.  As  we  advanced, 
I  observed  that  the  huts  were  all  comparatively 
new,  and  that  there  were  many  burnt  spots,  mark- 
ed by  charred  posts  and  half-burned  thatch-poles. 
Among  the  rubbish,  in  one  or  two  places,  I  noticed 
fragments  of  earthenware  of  Euroi^ean  manufac- 
ture, and  j^ieces  of  coj^per  sheathing,  evidently  from 
some  vessel. 

T  was  conducted  to  the  head  man's  hut,  where 
room  was  made  for  me  to  sit  down  on  one  of  the 
crickeries.  Some  kind  of  fermented  drink  was 
brought  for  me,  which  I  had  great  difficulty  in  de- 
clining. In  fact,  I  did  not  like  the  general  aspect 
of  things.  In  the  first  place,  there  were  no  women 
visible,  and  then  the  ugly  customers  vnih  the  guns 
and  spears,  when  not  scrutinizing  me  or  my  re- 
volver— which  seemed  to  have  a  strange  fascination 
in  their  eyes — were  engaged  in  a  very  sinister  Idnd 
of  consultation. 

The  head  man  seemed  particularly  anxious  to 
know  my  destination,  and  the  purposes  of  my  visit. 
My  suspicions  had  been  roused,  and  I  represented 
myself  as  a  little  in  advance  of  a  large  party  from 
the  Cape,  bound  down  the  coast,  and  inquired,  in 
return,  what  kind  of  accommodations  could  be  pro- 
vided for  my  companions  when  they  arrived.  This 
rather  disconcerted  him,  and  I  thought  the  oppor- 
tunity favorable  to  fall  back  to  the  boat,  now  fully 


TROUBLE     BREWING,  151 

convinced  that  some  kind  of  treachery  was  meditat- 
ed. A  movement  was  made  to  intercept  me  at  the 
door,  but  the  presented  muzzle  of  my  revolver 
opened  the  way  in  an  instant,  and  I  walked  slowly 
down  to  the  landing,  the  armed  men  following,  and 
calling  out  angrily,  "  Mer'ka  onan  !  Mer'ka  man  !"' 
Antonio  stood  at  the  toj)  of  the  bank,  with  my  gun, 
his  face  wearing  an  anxious  expressioQ.  He  whis- 
pered to  me  hurriedly,  in  Spanish,  that  half  a  dozen 
armed  men  had  gone  down  the  creek  in  a  boat,  and 
that  he  had  no  doubt  the  intention  was  to  attack 
us. 

In  fact  the  cowardly  wi-etches  were  now  brandish- 
ing their  weapons,  and  uttering  savage  shouts.  I 
at  once  saw  that  there  was  but  one  avenue  of  es- 
cape open,  namely,  to  take  to  our  boat,  and  get 
away  as  fast  as  possible.  I  waited  until  my  com- 
panions had  taken  their  places,  and  then  walked 
down  the  bank  deliberately,  and  entered  the  canoe. 
A  few  rapid  strokes  of  the  paddles  carried  us  well 
clear  of  the  shore,  before  the  Sambos  reached  the 
top  of  the  bank.  I  brought  my  gun  to  bear  upon 
them,  determined  to  fire  the  instant  they  should 
manifest  any  overt  act  of  hostility.  They  seemed 
to  comprehend  this,  and  contented  themselves  with 
running  after  us,  along  the  bank,  shouting  "  Mer'ka 
man  \"  and  pointing  their  weapons  at  us,  through 
the  openings  in  the  bushes. 

We  were  not  long  in  getting  beyond  their  reach, 
but  they  nevertheless  kept  up  loud,  taunting  shouts, 
while  we  were  within   hearing.     T   counted   this   a 


152  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

lucky  escape  from  the  village,  but  was  not  at  my 
ease  about  the  party  which  had  gone  down  the  creek. 
I  felt  sure  that  they  were  in  ambush  in  some  of  the 
dark  recesses  of  the  banks,  and  that  we  might 
be  attacked  at  any  moment.  Both  Antonio  and 
myself,  therefore,  sat  down  in  the  bottom  of  the 
canoe,  closely  watching  the  shores,  while  the  Poyer 
boy  paddled  noiselessly  in  the  stern.  It  was  now 
near  night,  and  the  shadows  gathered  so  darkly 
over  the  narrow  stream  that  we  could  see  nothing 
distinctly.  On  we  went,  stealthily  and  watchfully. 
We  had  reached  the  darkest  covert  on  the  creek,  a 
short  distance  above  its  junction  with  the  river, 
when  a  large  canoe  shot  from  the  bank  across  our 
bows,  with  the  evident  purpose  of  intercepting  us. 
At  the  same  instant  a  flight  of  arrows  wdiizzed  past 
us,  one  or  two  striking  in  the  canoe,  while  the 
others  spattered  the  water  close  by.  I  at  once  com- 
menced firing  my  revolver,  while  Antonio,  seizing 
the  long  manitee-spear,  sprang  to  the  bow.  At  the 
same  instant  our  canoe  struck  the  opposing  boat,  as 
the  saying  is,  "head  on,"  crushing  in  its  rotten 
sides,  and  swamping  it  in  a  moment.  Antonio  gave 
a  wild  shout  of  triumph,  driving  his  spear  at  the 
struggling  wretches,  some  of  whom  endeavored  to 
save  themselves  by  climbing  into  our  canoe,  I 
heard  the  dull  ichiig  of  the  lance  as  it  struck  the 
body  of  one  of  the  victims,  and,  with  a  sickening 
sensation,  cried  to  the  Poyer,  w^ho  had  also  seized  a 
lance  to  join  in  the  slaughter,  to  resume  his  jDaddle. 
He  did  so,  and  in  a  few  seconds  we  were  clear  of  the 


THE     FLIGHT.  155 

scene  of  our  encounter,  and  gliding  away  in  the 
darkness.  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  struggling 
figures  clinging  to  their  shattered  boat,  and  utter- 
ing the  wildest  cries  of  alarm  and  distress.  The 
quick  ear  of  Antonio  caught  responsive  shouts,  and 
it  soon  became  evident  that  we  had  been  followed 
by  boats  from  the  village. 

Convinced  that  we  would  be  pursued,  and  that  if 
overtaken  we  should  be  borne  down  by  numbers,  the 
question  of  our  safety  became  one  of  suj^erior  craft, 
or  superior  speed.  I  was  disposed  to  try  the  latter, 
but  yielded  to  Antonio,  who,  watching  an  opportu- 
nity, ran  our  boat  under  an  overhanging  tree,  whero 
the  tangled  bank  cast  an  impenetrable  shadoAv  on 
the  water.  Here  we  breathlessly  awaited  the  course 
of  events.  It  was  not  long  before  we  heard  a  slight 
ripple,  and  through  the  uncertain  light  I  saw  three 
canoes  dart  rapidly  and  silently  past.  The  pursuers 
evidently  thought  we  had  reached  the  river,  where 
the  mangroves  and  impenetrable  jungles  on  the 
banks  would  effectually  prevent  concealment  or 
escape.  Relieved  from  the  sense  of  immediate 
danger,  it  became  a  vital  question  what  we  should 
next  do  to  secure  our  ultimate  safety.  The  moon 
would  soon  be  up,  and  our  j)ursuers,  not  finding  us 
on  the  river,  would  at  once  divine  our  trick,  and, 
placing  us  between  themselves  and  the  town,  render 
escaj)e  impossible.  To  abandon  our  boat  was  to 
court  a  miserable  death  in  the  woods.  Antonio 
suggested  the  only  feasible  alternative.  There 
were  but  three  canoes,  and  when  thev  reached  the 


lot)  *     THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

river,  lie  shrewdly  reasoneLl,  two  would  follow  our 
most  probable  track  down  the  stream,  while  the 
third  would  doubtless  search  for  us  above.  Our 
policy,  then,  was  to  follow  in  the  wake  of  the  latter, 
until  it  should  be  as  widely  separated  from  aid  as 
possible,  and  then,  by  a  sudden  coup-de-main,  either 
disable  or  paralyze  our  opponents,  and  make  the 
best  of  our  way  into  the  interior,  where  we  could 
not  fail  to  find  creeks,  and  other  places  of  refuge 
from  pursuit. 

My  comjianions  stripped  themselves,  so  as  not  to 
be  encumbered  in  the  water,  in  case  of  accident,  and 
I  followed  their  example,  retaining  only  my  dark 
shirt,  lest  my  white  body  should  prove  too  conspic- 
uous a  mark,  I  carefully  loaded  my  pistols,  jiut  a 
handful  of  buck-shot  in  each  barrel  of  my  gun,  and 
we  started  down  the  creek,  A  few  moments  brought 
us  to  the  river,  but  we  could  neither  see  nor  hear 
the  canoes  of  our  enemies.  We  turned  up  the 
stream,  paddling  rapidly,  but  silently,  and  keeping 
close  to  the  shore.  Every  few  minutes  Antonio 
would  stop  to  listen.  Meantime,  I  hailed  with  joy 
some  heavy  clouds  in  the  East,  which  promised  to 
prolong  the  obscurity,  by  hiding  the  light  of  the 
rising  moon. 

The  excitement  of  the  night  of  the  terrible  storm, 
in  which  I  was  wrecked  on  "El  Koncador,"  was 
trifling  to  what  I  experienced  that  evening,  paddling 
up  the  dark  and  sullen  river.  I  exulted  in  every 
boat's  length  which  we  gained,  as  tending  to  make 
the   inevitable  contest   more  equal,   r.nd  welcon^cd 


GATHERING     OF     THE     STORM.  157 

every  ebon  fold  of  cloud  whicli  gathered  in  the  hori- 
zon. I  felt  that  a  thunder-storm  was  brooding  ; 
and  the  marshaling  of  the  elements  roused  still 
more  the  savage  desperation  which  gradually  ab- 
sorbed every  other  feeling  and  sentiment.  At  first, 
every  nerve  in  my  system  vibrated,  and  I  trembled 
in  every  limb  ;  I  felt  like  one  in  an  ague  fit ;  but 
this  soon  passed  away — every  muscle  became  tense, 
and  I  felt  the  strong  pulsations  in  my  temples,  as 
if  molten  iron  was  coursing  through  the  veins.  I 
no  longer  sought  to  avoid  a  contest,  but  longed 
for  the  hour  to  come  when  I  could  shed  blood. 
Every  moment  seemed  an  age,  and  I  know  not  how 
I  subdued  my  impatience. 

Meantime  the  threatened  storm  gathered,  with  a 
rapidity  peculiar  to  the  tropics  on  the  eve  of  a 
fervid  day,  and  the  darkness  became  so  dense  that 
we  several  times  run  our  boat  against  the  bank, 
from  sheer  inability  to  see.  Suddenly  the  dark  vail 
of  heaven  was  rift,  and  the  lurid  lightning  fell  with 
a  blinding  flash,  which  seemed  to  sear  our  eye-balls. 
An  instant  after  rolled  in  the  deep-voiced  thunder, 
booming  awfully  among  the  primeval  forests,  A 
few  rain-drops  followed,  which  struck  with  steel-like 
sharpness  on  the  naked  skin,  and  hot  puffs  of  air 
came  soughing  along  the  river.  A  moment  after 
the  heavens  again  glowed  with  the  lightnings,  glar- 
ing on  the  dark  breast  of  the  river,  and  revealing, 
but  a  few  yards  in  advance  of  us,  the  hostile  canoe, 
returning  from  what  its  occupants  no  doubt  regarded 
as  a  hopeless  pursuit.     Their  loud  shout  of  savage 


158  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

defiance  and  joy  was  cut  short  by  the  heavy  roll  of 
the  thunder,  and,  an  instant  after,  the  bows  of  our 
boats  came  together.  They  glanced  apart,  and  I 
was  nearly  thrown  from  my  balance  into  the  water, 
for  I  had  risen,  the  more  surely  to  pour  the  contents 
of  my  gun  into  the  midst  of  our  assailants.  Another 
shout  followed  the  shock,  and  I  heard  the  arrows, 
shot  at  random  in  the  darkness,  hiss  past  our  heads. 
I  reserved  my  fire  until  the  lightning  should  fall 
to  guide  my  aim.  I  had  not  long  to  wait  ;  a  third 
flash  revealed  the  opposing  boat ;  I  saw  that  it  was 
filled  with  men,  and  that  in  their  midst  stood  the 
treacherous  head  man  of  the  village.  The  flash  of 
my  gun,  and  that  of  the  lightning,  so  far  as  human 
senses  could  discern,  were  simultaneous  ;  yet  instan- 
taneous as  the  whole  transaction  must  have  been,  I 
saw  my  victim  fall,  and  heard  his  body  plunge  in 
the  water,  before  the  report  had  been  caught  up  by 
the  echo,  or  drowned  by  the  thunder.  I  shall  never 
forget  the  shriek  of  terror  and  of  rage  that  rung  out 
from  that  boat  to  swell  the  angry  discord  of  the  ele- 
ments. Even  now,  it  often  startles  me  from  my 
sleep.  But  then  it  inspired  me  with  the  wildest 
joy ;  I  shouted  back  triumphantly,  and  tossed  my 
arms  exultingly  in  the  face  of  the  unblenching  dark- 
ness. A  few  more  arrows,  a  couple  of  musket-shots, 
fired  at  random  toward  us,  and  the  combat  was 
over.  We  heard  wails  and  groans,  but  they  grew 
fainter  and  more  distant,  showing  that  our  enemies 
were  dropping  down  the  river.     Another  flash  of 


VICTORY,     AND     THE     ESCAPE.  159 

lightning  disclosed  them  drifting  along  the  bank, 
and  beyond  the  reach  of  our  weapons. 

Our  purpose  was  now  accomplished  ;  our  foes 
were  behind  us,  and  before  us  an  unknown  mesh  of 
lagoons  and  rivers.  We  had  no  alternative  but  to 
advance,  perhaps  upon  other  and  more  formidable 
dangers.  However  that  might  be,  we  did  not  stop 
to  consider,  but  all  through  the  stormy  night  plied 
our  paddles  with  incessant  energy.  About  midnight 
we  came  to  a  small  lagoon,  on  the  banks  of  which 
we  observed  some  fires,  but  the  sky  was  still  over- 
cast, and  we  escaped  notice.  Toward  morning  the 
moon  came  out,  and  we  directed  our  boat  close  in 
shore,  so  as  to  take  refuge  in  some  obscure  creek 
during  the  day.  An  opening  finally  presented  it- 
self, and  we  paddled  in.  As  we  advanced  it  became 
narrow,  and  was  obstructed  by  drooping  branches 
and  fallen  trunks.  Under  some  of  them  we  forced 
our  boat  with  difficulty,  and  others  we  cut  away 
with  our  machetes.  After  infinite  trouble  and  labor 
we  passed  the  mangrove-swamp,  and  came  to  high 
grounds,  on  which  were  many  coyol  palm-trees,  and 
a  few  dark  pines.  Here,  exhausted  with  om*  ex- 
traordinary efforts,  and  no  longer  sustained  by  ex- 
citement, we  made  a  hasty  encampment.  To  guard 
against  surprise  Antonio  undertook  the  first  watch, 
and,  wrapping  myself  in  my  blanket,  I  fell  into  a 
jjrofound  slumber. 

And  now,  to  remove  any  mystery  which  might 
attach  to  the  hostile  conduct  of  the  Sambos  at 
Quamwatla  (for  that  was  the  name  of  the  inhos- 


IGO 


THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE, 


pitable  village),  I  may  explain  that,  iu  September, 
1849,  the  bark  "  Simeon  Draper,"  from  New  York, 
bound  for  Chagres,  with  passengers  for  California, 
was  wrecked  on  the  coast,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Prinza-pulka  Kiver.  The  remains  of  her  hull  I 
have  alluded  to,  as  now  constituting  one  of  the 
principal  landmarks  on  that  monotonous  shore. 
Her  passengers  all  escaped  to  the  land,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  recovering  most  of  their  effects.  They 
were  soon  discovered  by  the  Sambos  of  Quamwatla, 
who,  affecting  friendship,  nevertheless  committed 
extensive  depredations  on  the  property  of  the  pas- 
sengers. Strong  representations  were  made  to  the 
head  man,  but  without  effect  ;  in  fact,  it  soon  be- 
came evident  that  he  was  the  principal  instigator 
of  the  robberies.  The  news  of  the  wreck  spread 
along  the  coast,  and  a  large  number  of  Sambos 
gathered  at  the  village.  As  their  numbers  in- 
creased, they  grew  bold  and  hostile,  until  the  po- 
sition of  the  passengers  became  one  of  danger. 
They  finally  received  intimations  that  a  concerted 
attack  would  soon  be  made  upon  them,  which  they 
anticipated  by  an  assault  upon  the  Sambo  village. 
The  inhabitants,  taken  by  surprise,  fled  after  a  few 
discharges  of  the  rifles  and  revolvers,  and  the  village 
was  set  on  fire  and  burned  to  the  ground.  The 
wrecked  Americans  were  not  afterward  disturbed, 
and  their  condition  becoming  known  in  San  Juan, 
a  vessel  was  dispatched  to  their  relief,  and  they 
were  taken  off  in  safety. 

It  was  not  until  I  arrived  at  Cape  Gracias  that  I 


THE     EXPLANATION.  161 

became  acquainted  with  these  facts,  which  account- 
ed for  the  appearance  of  things  in  Quamwatla,  and 
explained  the  hostility  of  the  natives.  Every  Eng- 
lishman on  the  coast  is  a  trader,  and  as  I  disowned 
that  character,  and,  moreover,  carried  a  revolver, 
they  were  not  long  in  making  up  their  minds  that 
I  was  an  Americaii. 

Under  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  our  es- 
cape was  almost  miraculous.  I  subsequently  ascer- 
tained that  three  of  our  assailants  had  been  killed 
outright  in  the  two  encounters,  and  that  the  treach- 
erous head  man  had  died  of  his  wounds. 

It  is  with  no  feehng  of  exultation  that  I  mention 
this  fact  ;  for,  so  long  as  I  live,  I  shall  not  cease  to 
lament  the  necessity,  which  circumstances  imposed 
upon  me,  of  taking  the  life  of  a  human  being,  how- 
ever debased  or  criminal.  I  know  of  no  sacrifice 
which  I  would  not  now  make  to  restore  those  mis- 
erable wretches  to  their  deserted  huts,  and  to  the 
rude  affection  of  which  even  savages  are  capable. 
The  events  of  that  terrible  night  have  left  a  shadow 
over  my  heart,  which  time  rather  serves  to  deepen 
than  to  efface. 


UR  reception  at  Quamwatla  had  cer- 
tainly not  been  of  a  kind  to  inspire 
us  with  the  most  cheerful  anticipa- 
tions. We  knew  that  a  vast  net-work  of  lagoons, 
rivers,  and  creeks  extended  to  Cape  Gracias,  but  of 
the  character  and  disposition  of  the  people,  scatter- 
ed along  their  tangled  sliores,  we  were  utterly  igno- 
rant. Turning  back  was  not  to  be  thought  of ;  and 
going  ahead  was  a  matter  which  required  caution. 
Should  we  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  get  involved  in 
another  fight,  we  could  hardly  expect  to  get  off  so 
easily  as  we  had  done  in  our  last  encounter. 

Under  all  the  circumstances,  we  concluded  that, 
inasmuch  as  our  place  of  refuge  seemed  secure,  and 
withal  was  not  deficient  in  resources,  it  would  be 
the  wisest  plan  to  remain  where  we  were  until  the 


CAMP     IN     THE     WILDERNESS.  168 

pursuit,  which  we  were  sure  would  he  made,  should 
have  heen  abandoned  ;  or,  at  least,  until  the  waning 
of  the  moon  should  afford  us  a  dark  night,  wherein 
we  could  pursue  our  voyage  unobserved.  With  this 
sage  resolution,  we  set  to  work  to  establish  a  tem- 
porary camp. 

As  I  have  said,  the  little  creek,  which  we  had  fol- 
lowed, led  us  to  the  base  of  a  range  of  low  hills,  or 
rather  ridges  or  swells  of  land,  where  the  ground 
was  not  alluvial,  but  dry  and  gravelly.  These 
ridges  could  hardly  be  called  savannahs,  although 
they  were  covered  with  a  species  of  coarse  grass, 
relieved,  here  and  there,  by  clumps  of  gum-arabic 
bushes,  groups  of  pine-trees,  and  an  occasional 
coyol,  or  spiny-palm.  Between  these  comjDarative- 
ly  high  grounds  and  the  lagoon,  intervened  a  dense, 
impenetrable  mangrove-swamp,  pierced  by  a  few 
choked  channels  formed  by  the  small  streams  com- 
ing down  from  the  hills. 

I  selected  the  shelter  of  a  clump  of  fragrant 
pines  for  our  encampment,  where  the  ground  was 
covered  with  a  soft,  brown  carpet  of  fallen  leaves. 
A  rope  stretched  between  the  trees  supported  our 
little  sail,  which  was  spread  out,  tent-wise,  by  poles. 
Under  this  my  hammock  was  suspended,  affording 
a  retreat,  shady  and  cool  by  day,  and  secure  from 
damps  and  rains  at  night. 

In  a  little  grassy  dell,  close  by,  was  a  clear  spring 
of  water.  We  lit  no  fires  except  at  night,  lest  the 
smoke  might  betray  us  ;  and  only  then  in  places 
whence  the  lig-ht  could  not  be  reflected. 


164  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE, 

Accustomed  as  were  my  companions  to  wild  and 
savage  life,  they  seemed  to  enjoy  the  danger  and 
the  seclusion  in  which  we  found  ourselves.  It  gave 
them  an  opportunity  to  display  their  skill  and  re- 
sources, and  they  really  assumed  toward  me  an  air 
of  complacent  patronage,  something  like  that  of  a 
city  habitue  toward  his  country  cousin,  when  show- 
ing to  him  the  marvels  of  the  metropolis. 

One  of  Antonio's  earliest  exjiloits,  after  our  reso- 
lution to  stop  had  been  taken,  was  to  cut  down  a 
number  of  the  rough-looking  palm-trees.  In  tho 
trunks  of  these,  near  their  tops,  where  the  leaves 
sprang  out,  he  carefully  chiseled  a  hole,  cutting 
completely  through  the  pulp  of  the  tree,  to  the 
outer,  or  woody  shell.  This  hole  was  again  cov- 
ered with  the  jDiece  of  rind,  which  had  first  been 
removed,  as  with  a  lid.  I  watched  the  operation 
curiously,  but  asked  no  questions.  In  the  course  of 
the  afternoon,  however,  he  took  off  one  of  these 
covers,  and  disclosed  to  me  the  cavity  filled  with  a 
frothy  liquid,  of  the  faintest  straw  tinge,  looking 
like  delicate  Sauterne  wine.  He  presented  me  with 
a  piece  of  reed,  and  with  a  gratified  air  motioned 
me  to  drink.  My  early  experiments  with  straws,  in 
the  cider-barrels  of  New  England,  recurred  to  me 
at  once,  and  I  laughed  to  think  that  I  had  come  to 
repeat  them  under  the  tropics.  I  found  the  juice 
sweet,  and  slightly  pungent,  but  altogether  rich, 
dehcious,  and  invigorating.  As  may  be  supposed, 
I  paid  frequent  visits  to  Antonio's  reservoirs. 

This  palm  bears  the  name  of  coyol  among  the 


VINO     DE     COYOL.  165 

Spaniards,  and  of  cocJcattnice  among  the  Mosquitos. 
Its  juice  is  called  by  the  former  Vino  de  Coyol, 
and  by  the  Indians  generally  Chiclia  (cheechee) — a 
name,  however,  which  is  applied  to  a  variety  of 
drinks.  When  the  tree  is  cut  down,  the  end  is 
plastered  with  mud,  to  prevent  the  juice,  with 
which  the  core  is  saturated,  from  exuding.  A  hole 
is  then  cut  near  the  top,  as  I  have  described,  in 
wliich  the  liquid  is  gradually  distilled,  filling  the 
reservoir  in  the  course  of  ten  or  twelve  hours.  This 
reservoir  may  be  emptied  daily,  and  yet  be  con- 
stantly replenished,  it  is  said,  for  upward  of  a 
month.  On  the  tiiird  day,  if  the  tree  be  exposed  to 
the  sun,  the  juice  begins  to  ferment,  and  gradually 
grows  stronger,  until,  at  the  end  of  a  couple  of  weeks,  it 
becomes  intoxicating — thus  affording  to  the  Sambos 
a  ready  means  of  getting  up  the  "  big  drunk."  The 
Spaniards  affirm  that  the  "  vino  de  coyol"  is  a  spe- 
cific for  indigestion  and  pains  in  the  stomach. 

The  nuts  of  this  variety  of  palm  grow  in  large 
clusters.  They  are  round,  containing  a  very  solid 
kernel,  so  saturated  with  oil  as  to  resemble  refined 
wax.  It  is  in  all  respects  superior  to  the  ordinary 
cocoa-nut  oil,  and  might  be  obtained  in  any  desir- 
able quantity,  if  means  could  be  devised  for  separat- 
ing the  kernel  from  the  shell.  This  shell  is  thick, 
hard,  black,  capable  of  receiving  the  minutest  carv- 
ing, and  most  brilliant  polish,  and  is  often  worked 
into  ornaments  by  the  Indians. 

In  the  moist  depressions,  or  valleys,  near  our 
encampment,    we   also   found    another   varietv   of 


166 


THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 


palm,  which  often  stands  the  traveler,  under  the 
tropics,  in  good  stead,  as  a  substitute  for  other  and 
better  vegetable  food.     I  mean  the  Palmetto  Royal, 

or  Blountain  Cahhage  {Are- 
ca  oleracea),  which  has 
justly  been  called  the 
''  Queen  of  the  Forest."  It 
grows  to  a  great  height, 
frequently  no  thicker  than 
a  man's  thigh,  yet  rising 
upward  of  a  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  in  the  air.  No 
other  tree  in  the  world 
equals  it  in  height  or 
beauty.  The  trunk  swells 
moderately  a  short  distance 
above  the  root,  whence  it 
tapers  gently  to  its  emerald 
crown,  sustaining  through- 
out the  most  elegant  pro- 
portions. 

The  edible  part,  or  "  cab- 
bage" (as  it  is  called,  from 
some  fancied  resemblance 
in  taste  to  that  vegetable), 
constitutes  the  ujjper  part 
of  the  trunk,  whence  the 
foliage  springs.  It  resem- 
bles a  tall  Etruscan  vase  in  shape,  of  the  liveliest 
green  color,  gently  swelling  from  its  pedestal,  and 
diminishing  gradually  to  the  top,  where  it  expands 


PALMETTO     ROYAL. 


PALMETTO     ROYAL.  167 

in  plume-like  branches.  From  the  very  centre  of 
this  natural  vase  rises  a  tall,  yellowish  spatha,  or 
sheath,  terminating  in  a  sharp  point.  At  the 
bottom  of  this,  and  inclosed  in  the  natural  vase 
which  I  have  described,  is  found  a  tender  white 
core,  or  heart,  varying  in  size  with  the  dimensions 
of  the  tree,  but  usually  eight  or  ten  inches  in  cir- 
cumference. This  may  be  eaten  raw,  as  a  salad, 
or,  if  prefen-ed,  fried  or  boiled.  In  taste  it  resem- 
bles an  artichoke,  rather  than  a  cabbage. 

The  Indians  climb  this  palm,  and,  dexterously 
inserting  their  knives,  contrive  to  obtain  the  edible 
part  without  destroying  the  tree  itself  By  means 
of  the  same  contrivance  which  he  made  use  of  in 
obtaining  the  cocoa-nuts,  on  the  island  in  Pearl 
Cay  Lagoon,  Antonio  kept  us  supplied  with  palm 
cabbages,  which  were  our  chief  reliance,  in  the  vege- 
table line.  I  found  that  they  were  most  palatable 
when  properly  seasoned,  and  baked  in  the  ground, 
with  some  strips  of  manitee  fat,  after  the  manner 
which  I  have  already  described. 

The  fruits  of  this  tree  are  small,  oblong  berries, 
of  a  purplish  blue,  about  the  size  of  an  olive,  inclos- 
ing a  smooth,  brittle  nut,  which,  in  turn,  covers  a 
cartilaginous  kernel. 

The  pine  ridges  were  not  deficient  in  animal  life. 
A  few  large  cotton-trees  grew  on  the  edge  of  the 
mangrove-swamp,  which  were  the  nightly  resort  of 
paiTots  and  paroquets,  who  came  literally  in  clouds, 
and  then  the  callings,  scoldings,  frettings,  and 
screamings  that  took  place  would  have  drowned  the 


168  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

confusion  of  the  most  vicious  rookery  extant.  In 
the  evening  and  morning  it  was  really  difficult  for 
us  to  make  each  other  hear,  although  our  camp  was 
distant  more  than  two  hundred  yards  from  the 
roosts.  The  parrots  are  often  eaten  by  the 
natives,  in  default  of  other  food,  but  they  are 
tough,  hard,  dry,  and  tasteless.  Not  so,  however, 
with  the  quails,  which  were  not  only  numerous, 
but  so  tame,  or  rather  so  unsuspecting,  that  we 
could  catch  as  many  as  we  wanted,  in  the  simplest 
kind  of  traps.  We  adopted  this  method  of  pro- 
curing such  game  as  the  Poyer  boy  did  not  kill 
with  his  bow,  instead  of  using  my  gun,  the  report 
of  which  might  betray  us. 

Day  by  day  we  extended  our  excursions  farther 
from  the  camp,  every  step  revealing  to  me,  at  least, 
something  novel  and  interesting.  I  think  it  was 
the  third  day  after  our  arrival,  when  we  came  upon  a 
patch  of  low  ground,  or  jungle,  densely  wooded,  and 
distant  j^erhaps  half  a  mile  from  our  encampment. 
Attracted  by  some  bright  flowers,  I  penetrated  a 
few  yards  into  the  bushes,  where,  to  my  surprise,  I 
came  upon  what  appeared  to  be  a  well-beaten  path, 
which  I  followed  for  some  distance,  wondering  over 
the  various  queer  tracks  which  I  observed  printed, 
here  and  there,  on  the  moist  ground.  While  thus 
engaged,  I  was  startled  by  the  sound  of  some  animal 
approaching,  with  a  dull  and  heavy,  but  rapid  tread. 
Looking  up,  I  saw  a  lead-colored  beast,  about  the 
size  of  a  large  donkey,  its  head  drooping  between 
its  fore-legs,  coming  toward  me  at  a  swinging  trot. 


TOUCHING     THE     TAPIR.  169 

Thinking  he  was  charging  upon  me  direct,  I  leaped 
into  the  bushes,  with  the  intention  of  climbing  up  a 
tree.  But  before  I  could  effect  my  object,  the 
monster  lumbered  past,  taking  not  the  slightest 
notice  of  my  presence.  I  breathed  freer,  when  I 
saw  his  broad  buttocks  and  little  pig-like  tail  disap- 
pearing down  the  path,  and  I  made  my  way  out  of 
the  jungle,  in  a  manner  probably  more  expeditious 
than  either  graceful  or  valorous.  Antonio,  who 
was  dodging  after  a  fat  currassow,  had  heard  the 
noise,  and  was  witness  of  my  retreat.  He  seemed 
alarmed  at  first,  but  only  smiled  when  I  explained 
what  I  had  seen.  In  fact,  he  appeared  to  think  it 
rather  a  good  joke,  and  hurried  off  to  examine  the 
tracks.  He  came  back  in  a  few  minutes,  and  re- 
ported that  my  monster  was  only  a  dante,  which  I 
took  to  be  some  kind  of  Indian  lingo  for  at  least  a 
hippopotamus,  or  rhinoceros. 

"  We  shall  have  rare  sport,"  he  continued,  "  in 
catching  this  dante.  It  will  be  equal  to  hunting 
the  manitus." 

I  found,  upon  inquiry,  that  the  dante  is  called, 
in  the  Mosquito  dialect,  tilba  or  tapia,  which  names 
at  once  suggested  tapir,  an  animal  of  which  I  had 
read,  but  of  which  I  had  very  vague  notions. 

The  Poyer  boy  seemed  delighted  with  the  news 
that  there  was  a  tapir  about,  and  in  less  than  five 
minutes  after,  both  he  and  Antonio  were  sharpen- 
ing their  spears  and  lances,  with  palpable  design  on 
my  monster's  life.  They  told  me  that  the  tapir 
generally  keeps  quiet   during  the  day,  wandering 


170  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

out  at  night,  usually  in  fixed  haunts  and  hy  the 
same  paths,  to  take  exercise  and  obtain  his  food. 
I  was  not  a  little  relieved  when  they  added  that  he 
never  fights  with  man  or  beast,  but  owes  his  safety 
to  his  speed,  thick  hide,  and  ability  to  take  to  the 
water,  where  he  is  as  much  at  home  as  on  land, 
swimming  or  sinking  to  the  bottom  at  his  pleasure. 
He  is,  nevertheless,  a  headlong  beast,  and  when 
alarmed  or  pursued,  stops  at  nothing  —  vines, 
bushes,  trees,  rocks,  are  all  the  same  to  him  ! 
He  would  do  well  for  a  crest,  with  the  motto, 
"  Necic  or  Nothing  !" 

In  shape,  the  dante  or  tapir  (sometimes  called 
mountain  coiv)  is  something  like  a  hog,  but  much 
larger.  He  has  a  similar  arched  back  ;  his  head, 
however,  is  thicker,  and  comes  to  a  sharp  ridge  at 
the  top.  The  male  has  a  snout  or  sort  of  proboscis 
hanging  over  the  opening  of  the  mouth,  something 
like  the  trunk  of  an  elephant,  which  he  uses  in  like 
manner.  This  is  wanting  in  the  female.  Its  ears 
are  rounded,  bordered  with  white,  and  can  be  drawn 
forward  at  pleasure  ;  its  legs  are  thick  and  stumpy  ; 
its  fore-feet  or  hoofs  are  divided  into  three  parts  or 
toes,  -with  a  sort  of  false  hoof  behind  ;  but  the 
hind  feet  have  only  three  parts  or  divisions.  Its 
tail  is  short,  and  marked  by  a  few  stiff  hairs  ;  the 
skin  so  hard  and  solid  as  generally  to  resist  a  mus- 
ket-ball ;  the  hair  thin  and  short,  of  a  dusky 
brown  ;  and  along  the  top  of  the  neck  runs  a  bristly 
mane,  which  extends  over  the  head  and  down  the 
snout.       He   has   ten   cutting-teeth,   and   an  equal 


HUNTING     THE     TAPIR.  171 

number  of  grinders  in  each,  jaw  ;  features  which 
separate  him  entirely  from  the  ox-kind,  and  from 
all  other  ruminating  animals.  He  lives  upon  plants 
and  roots,  and,  as  I  have  said,  is  perfectly  harmless 
in  disposition.  The  female  produces  but  one  young 
at  a  birth,  of  which  she  is  very  tender,  leading  it, 
at  an  early  age,  to  the  water,  and  instructing  it  to 
swim. 

This  description  finished,  the  reader  is  ready  to 
accompany  us  in  our  nocturnal  expedition  against 
the  tapir.  Before  it  became  dark,  Antonio,  accom- 
panied by  the  boy,  went  to  the  thicket  which  I 
have  described,  and  felled  several  stout  trees  across 
tbe  path,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  form  a  kind  of 
cul  de  sac.  The  design  of  this  was  to  arrest  the 
animal  on  his  return,  and  enable  us  to  spear  him 
before  he  could  break  through  or  disengage  himself. 
We  went  to  the  spot  early  in  the  evening,  and,  as 
the  moon  did  not  rise  until  late,  Antonio  caught 
his  hat  half-full  of  fire-flies,  which  served  to  guide 
us  in  the  bush.  He  then  pulled  off  their  wings  and 
scattered  them  among  the  fallen  trees,  where  they 
gave  light  enough  to  enable  us  to  distinguish  ob- 
jects with  considerable  clearness.  Notwithstanding 
Antonio's  assurances  that  the  tapir  was  a  member 
of  the  Peace  Society,  I  could  not  divest  myself  of 
the  alarm  which  he  had  given  me  in  the  morning^ 
and  I  was  not  at  all  sorry  to  find  that  my  compan- 
ions had  selected  a  spot  for  their  abattis,  where  an 
overhanging  tree  enabled  me  to  keep  out  of  harm's 
way,  yet  near  enough  to  take  a  sly  drive  with  my 


172  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

lance  at  the  tapir,  if  he  should  happen  to  come  that 
way. 

Antonio  and  the  Poyer  boy  took  their  stations 
among  the  fallen  trees  ;  I  took  mine,  and  we  await- 
ed the  dante's  j)leasure.  I  strained  my  eyes  in  vain 
endeavors  to  penetrate  the  gloom,  and  held  my 
breath  full  half  the  time  to  hear  the  expected  tread. 
But  we  peered,  and  listened,  and  waited  in  vain  ; 
the  fire-flies  crawled  away  in  every  dhection,  and 
yet  the  tapir  obstinately  kept  away.  Finally,  the 
moon  came  up  ;  and  by-and-by  it  rose  above  the 
trees — and  still  no  tapir  ! 

My  seat  on  the  tree  became  uncomfortable,  and 
I  instituted  a  comparison  between  tapir  and 
manitus-hunting,  largely  to  the  advantage  of  the 
latter  ;  and,  finally,  when  Antonio  whispered  "  He 
is  coming  !"  I  felt  a  willful  disposition  to  contradict 
him.  But  my  ear,  meanwhile,  caught  the  same 
dull  sound  which  had  arrested  my  attention  in  the 
morning  ;  and,  a  few  moments  afterward,  I  could 
make  out  the  beast,  in  the  dim  light,  driving  on  at 
the  same  swinging  trot.  Eight  on  he  came,  heed- 
less and  headlong.  Crash  !  crash  !  There  was  a 
plunge  and  struggle,  and  a  crushing  and  trampling 
of  branches,  then  a  dull  sound  of  the  heavy  beast 
striking  against  the  unyielding  trunks  of  the  fallen 
trees.  He  was  now  foirly  stopped,  and  with  a 
shout  my  companions  drove  down  upon  him  with 
their  lances,  which  rung  out  a  sharp  metallic  sound 
when  they  struck  his  thick,  hard  hide.  It  was  an 
exciting  moment,  and  my  eagerness  overcoming  my 


THE     AMBUSCADE. 


173 


prudence,  I  slipped  down  the  tree,  and  joined  in  the 
attack.  Blow  upon  blow  of  the  lances,  and  I  could 
feel  that  mine  struck  deeply  into  the  flesh,  it  seemed 
to  me  into  the  very  vitals  of  the  animal.  But  the 
strokes  only  appeared  to  give  him  new  strength, 
and  gathering  back,  he  drove  again  full  upon  the 
opposing  tree,  bearing  it  down  before  him.  I  had 
just  leaped  upon  the  trunk,  the  better  to  aim  my 
lance,  and  went  down  with  it  headlong,  almost 
under  the  feet  of  the  struggling  animal,  one  tramp 


THE    DEATH     OF    THE    TAPIK. 


of  whose  feet  would  have  crushed  me  like  a  worm. 
I  could  have  touched  him  with  my  arm,  he  was  so 
near !  I  heard  the  alarmed  shriek  of  Antonio, 
when  he  saw  me  fall ;  but,  in  an  instant,  he  leaped 


174  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

to  my  side,  and,  shortening  his  lance,  drove  it,  with 
desperate  force,  clean  through  the  animal,  bring- 
ing him  to  his  knees.  This  done,  he  grappled  me 
as  he  might  an  infant,  and  before  I  was  aware  of 
it,  had  dragged  me  clear  of  the  fallen  timber. 
The  blow  of  Antonio  proved  fatal ;  the  tapir  fell 
over  on  his  side,  and  in  a  few  moments  was  quite 
dead. 

The  Poyer  boy  was  dispatched  to  the  camp  for 
fire  and  pine  splints,  which,  stuck  in  the  ground 
around  the  tapir,  answered  for  torches.  By  their 
light  my  companions  j^roceeded  to  cut  up  the  spoil, 
a  tedious  operation,  which  occupied  them  until  day- 
light. I  did  not  wait,  but  went  back  to  my  ham- 
mock, leaving  them  to  finish  their  work,  undis- 
turbed by  my  questions. 

When  I  awoke  in  the  morning,  I  found  Antonio 
had  the  tapir's  head  baking  in  the  ground,  from 
whence  rose  a  hot  but  fragrant  steam.  It  proved  to 
be  very  good  eating,  as  did  also  the  feet  and  the 
neck,  but  the  flesh  of  the  animal  in  general  was 
abominably  coarse  and  insipid,  although  my  com- 
panions seemed  to  relish  it  greatly.  I  found  it,  like 
that  of  the  manitus,  exceedingly  laxative. 

Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  tapir's  tenacity 
of  life,  when  I  say  that  I  counted  upward  of  thirty 
lance-thrusts  in  the  body  of  the  one  we  killed,  none 
of  which  were  less  than  six  inches  deep,  and  nearly 
all  penetrating  into  the  cavity  of  the  body  !  It 
rarely  happens,  therefore,  that  the  animal  is  killed 
by  the  individual  hunter.     The   hide   is    quite   as 


ANTICS     OF     THE     ANTS,  175 

thick,  and  I  tliink  harder  than  that  of  the  manitus, 
which,  when  dried,  it  closely  resembles. 

I  should  weary  the  reader  were  I  to  enter  into  all 
the  details  of  our  life  at  the  "  Tapir  Camp,"  as  I 
called  it,  in  honor  of  the  exploit  I  have  just  re- 
counted. During  the  eight  days  which  we  spent 
there,  I  learned  more  of  nature  and  her  works  than 
I  had  known  before.  I  spent  hours  in  watching  the 
paths  of  the  black  ants,  tracing  them  to  their  nests 
in  the  trees,  which  were  dark  masses,  as  large  as  a 
barrel,  made  up  of  fragments  of  leaves  cemented 
together.  From  these  paths,  which  were  from  four 
to  six  inches  wide,  all  grass,  leaves,  sticks,  and 
other  obstructions,  had  been  removed,  and  along 
them  poured  an  unbroken  column  of  ants,  thousands 
on  thousands,  those  bound  from  the  nest  hurrying 
do"w^n  one  side  of  the  path,  and  those  bound  in,  each 
carrying  aloft  a  piece  of  green  leaf,  perhaps  half  an 
inch  square — a  mimic  army  with  banners — hurry- 
ing up  the  other.  I  amused  myself,  sometimes,  by 
putting  obstructions  across  the  path,  and  watching 
the  surging  up  of  the  interrupted  columns.  Then 
could  be  seen  fleet  couriers  hurrying  off  to  the  nest, 
and  directly  the  ^^ath  would  bo  crowded  with  a 
heavy  reenforcement,  invariably  headed  by  eight  or 
ten  ants  of  larger  size,  who  appeared  to  be  the  en- 
gineers of  the  establishment.  These  would  climb 
over  and  all  around  the  obstruction,  apparently  cal- 
culating the  chances  of  effecting  its  removal.  If 
not  too  heavy,  they  disposed  their  regiments,  and 
dragged   it   away  by  a  grand    simultaneous  effort. 


176  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

But  if,  on  examination,  they  thought  its  removal 
impossible,  they  hurried  to  lay  out  a  road  around  it, 
clearing  away  the  grass,  leaves,  twigs,  and  pebbles 
with  consummate  skill,  each  column  working  toward 
the  other.  The  best  drilled  troops  could  not  go 
more  systematically  and  intelligently  to  work,  nor 
have  executed  their  task  with  greater  alacrity  and 
energy.  No  sooner  was  it  done,  than,  putting 
themselves  at  the  head  of  their  workies,  the  engi- 
neers hastened  back  as  they  came,  ready  to  obey 
the  next  requisition  upon  their  strength  and  skill. 

Here  I  may  mention  that  there  is  no  end  of  ants 
under  the  tropics.  They  swarm  every  where,  of  un- 
numbered varieties — from  little  creatures,  of  micro- 
scopic proportions,  to  those  of  the  size  of  our  wasp. 
It  is  always  necessary,  when  on  land,  to  hang  one's 
provisions  by  cords  from  the  branches  of  trees,  or 
they  would  literally  be  eaten  up  in  a  single  night. 
There  is  one  variety,  called  the  liormegas^  by  the 
Spaniards,  which  has  an  insatiate  appetite  for 
leather,  especially  boots,  and  will  eat  them  full  of 
holes  in  a  few  hours.  All  the  varieties  of  acacias 
teem  with  a  small  red,  or  "  fire  ant,"  whose  bite  is 
like  the  prick  of  a  red-hot  needle.  The  unfortunate 
traveler  who  gets  them  in  any  considerable  numbers 
on  his  person,  is  driven  to  distraction  for  the  time 
beinar.     It  is  difficult  to  imagine  keener  torment. 

Thousands  of  small,  light-colored  bees  gathered 
round  the  fallen  trunks  of  the  coyol-palms,  to  col- 
lect the  honey-like  liquid  that  exuded  here  and 
there,  as  the  juice  began  to  ferment.     I  soon  ascer- 


TAPIR     CAMP.  177 

tained  that  they  were  stingless,  and  amused  myself 
in  watching  their  industrious  zeal.  I  gradually 
came  to  observe  that  when  each  had  gathered  his 
supply,  he  rose,  by  a  succession  of  circuits,  high  in 
the  air,  and  then  darted  off  in  a  certain  direction. 
Carefully  watching  then-  course,  I  finally  traced 
them  to  a  low,  twisted  tree,  on  the  edge  of  the 
swamp,  in  the  hollow  of  which  they  had  their  de- 
pository. Of  course,  I  regarded  this  as  a  fortunate 
discovery,  and  we  were  not  slow  to  turn  it  to  our 
advantage.  I  had  less  scruples  in  cutting  down  the 
tree,  and  turning  the  busy  little  dwellers  out  on  the 
world,  since  they  had  no  winter  to  provide  for,  and 
could  easily  take  care  of  themselves.  The  supply 
of  honey  proved  to  be  very  small,  and  seemed  to 
have  been  collected  chiefly  for  the  support  of  the 
young  bees.  We  obtained  only  four  bottles  full 
from  the  tree.  In  taste  it  proved  to  be  very  unlike 
our  northern  honey,  having  a  sharp,  pungent,  half- 
fermented  flavor,  causing,  when  eaten  pure,  a  chok- 
ing contraction  of  the  muscles  of  the  throat.  An- 
tonio mixed  some  of  it  with  the  "  vino  de  coyol," 
which,  after  fermentation,  produced  a  very  delicious, 
but  strong,  and  most  intoxicating  kind  of  liqueur. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  eighth  day,  the  moon 
having  reached  her  last  quarter,  we  packed  our 
little  boat,  and  just  as  the  night  fell,  worked  our 
way  slowly  through  the  little,  obstructed  canal  to 
the  lagoon,  which  now  expanded  to  the  north.  We 
paddled  boldly  through  the  middle,  the  better  to 
avoid  observation  from  the  shore.     The  night  was 

8* 


178  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

dark,  but  wonderfully  still,  and  I  could  hear  dis- 
tinctly the  sound  of  drums  and  revelry  from  the 
villages  on  the  eastern  shore,  although  they  must 
have  been  fully  three  miles  distant. 

I  left  "  Tapir  Camp"  with  real  regret.  The  days 
had  glided  by  tranquilly,  and  I  had  enjoyed  a  calm 
content,  to  which  I  had  before  been  a  stranger. 
For  the  first  time,  I  was  able  to  comprehend  the 
feeling,  gathering  strength  with  every  day,  which 
induces  men,  sometimes  the  most  brilliant  and  pros- 
perous, to  banish  themselves  from  the  world,  and 
seek,  in  utter  retirement,  the  peace  which  only  flows 
from  a  direct  converse  with  nature,  and  an  earnest 
self-communion. 


'  LONG  the  coast,  from  the  Prinza- 
piilka  river  northward,  as  I  have 
said,  stretches  a  net-work  of  rivers 
and  lagoons,  for  a  distance  of  at  least  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles,  terminating  near  Cape  Gracias. 
These  lagoons  are  broad  and  shallow,  and  bordered 
by  extensive  marshes.  Wherever  the  dry  ground 
does  appear,  strange  to  say,  it  is  generally  as  a 
sandy  savannah,  undulating,  and  supporting  few 
trees  except  the  red,  or  long-leaved  pine.  These 
savannahs  are  only  adapted  for  grazing,  since  the 
soil  is  too  light  and  poor  for  cultivation,  and  fails  to 
support  any  of  the  staple  products,  or  any  of  the 
many  esculent  vegetables  of  the  tropics,  except  the 
cassava.     And  althoua:h  the  few  scattered  inhabit- 


180  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

ants  of  the  Mosquito  Shore,  above  the  Prinza- 
pulka,  live  upon  the  borders  of  the  lagoons,  select- 
ing generally  the  savannahs  for  their  villages,  it 
is  because  they  are  essentially  fishers,  and  derive 
their  principal  support  from  the  sea.  The  islands 
of  the  coast  abound  with  turtle,  and  the  rivers, 
creeks,  and  lagoons  teem  with  fish  of  nearly  every 
variety  known  under  the  tropics.  The  few  vegeta- 
bles which  they  require  are  obtained  from  the 
banks  of  the  rivers  in  the  back  country,  where  the 
streams  flow  through  their  proper  valleys,  and  be- 
fore they  are  lost  in  the  low  grounds  of  the  coast. 
The  plantations  on  these  rivers  belong  to  the  In- 
dians proper,  whose  numbers  increase  toward  the 
interior,  and  who  supply  the  Sambos,  or  coast-men, 
not  only  with  vegetables,  but  also  with  the  various 
kinds  of  boats  which  are  used  by  them,  receiving  in 
exchange  a  few  cottons,  axes,  trinkets,  and  other 
articles  which  are  brought  by  the  foreign  traders. 
The  character  and  habits  of  these  Indians  are 
widely  different  from  those  of  the  coast-men.  The 
latter  are  drunken,  idle,  and  vicious,  while  the 
former  are  mild,  industrious,  and  temperate.  The 
differences  which  I  have  indicated  between  the  In- 
dian settlement  on  the  Eio  Grande  and  the  Sambo 
village  of  Wasswatla,  hold  equally  true  throughout, 
except  that  the  farther  the  traveler  proceeds  north- 
ward from  Bluefields,  the  more  debased  and  brutal 
the  Sambos  become. 

In  attempting  to  thread   my  way  through   the 
maze  of  waters  before  us,  I  kept  the  facts  which  I 


LAGOON     LIFE.  183 

have  recounted  constantly  in  view,  and  sought 
rather  to  penetrate  inland,  than  diverge  toward  the 
coast.  So,  whenever  two  or  more  channels  pre- 
sented themselves,  I  universally  took  the  inside 
one.  This  frequently  led  us  into  the  rivers  flowing 
from  the  interior,  but  their  current  speedily  enabled 
us  to  correct  these  mistakes. 

No  incident  relieved  the  monotony  of  our  first 
night,  after  leaving  "  Tapir  Camp."  Toward  morn- 
ing we  paddled  into  the  first  opening  in  the  man- 
groves that  held  out  promise  of  concealment.  We 
had  the  usual  difficulties  to  encounter — fallen  trees, 
and  overhanging  limbs ;  but  when  the  morning 
broke  we  had  worked  our  way  to  a  sjDot  where  the 
creek  expanded  into  a  kind  of  subordinate  lagoon, 
very  shallow,  and  full  of  sandy  islets,  partly  covered 
with  grass  and  water-plants.  At  one  spot  on  the 
shore  the  ground  was  elevated  a  few  feet,  support- 
ing a  number  of  large  and  ancient  trees,  heavily 
drajDcd  with  vines,  under  which  we  encamj^ed. 

After  a  very  frugal  meal,  my  hammock  was  sus- 
pended between  the  trees,  and  I  went  to  sleep. 
About  noon  I  awoke,  and  spent  the  rest  of  the  daj^ 
in  watching  the  various  forms  of  animal  life  which 
found  support  in  these  secluded  wilds.  It  seemed 
to  me  as  if  all  the  aquatic  birds  of  the  world  were 
congregated  there,  in  harmonious  conclave.  Long- 
shanked  herons,  with  their  necks  drawn  in,  and 
their  yellow  bills  resting  on  their  breasts,  stood 
meditatively  on  a  single  leg  ;  troops  of  the  white  and 
scarlet  ibis  trotted  actively  along  the  open  sands  ; 


184  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

and  round-tailed  darters,  with  their  snaky  necks 
and  quick  eyes,  alighted  in  the  trees  around  us — 
the  only  birds  of  all  that  assemblage  which  seemed 
to  notice  our  intrusion  !  Then  there  were  cranes, 
and  gaudy,  awkward  spoon-bills  (clownish  million- 
aires !)  and  occasionally  a  little  squadron  of  blue- 
winged  teal  paddled  gracefully  by. 

Overhead,  a  few  noisy  macaws  sheltered  them- 
selves from  the  noon-day  heats.  Among  these,  I 
saw,  for  the  first  time,  the  green  variety,  a  more 
modest,  and,  to  my  taste,  a  far  more  beautiful  bird, 
than  his  gaudier  cousin.  The  large  trees  to  which 
I  have  alluded,  were  of  the  variety  known  as  the 
ceiha,  or  silk-cotton  tree.  They  were  now  in  their 
bloom,  and  crowned  with  a  profusion  of  flowers  of 
rich  and  variegated  colors,  but  chiefly  a  bright  car- 
nation. It  was  a  novel  spectacle  to  see  a  gigantic 
tree,  five  or  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  eighty  or 
ninety  feet  high,  sending  out  long  and  massive 
limbs,  yet  bearing  flowers  like  a  rose-bush — a  sort 
of  man-milliner  !  Viewed  from  beneath,  the  flow- 
ers were  scarcely  visible,  but  their  fragrance  was 
overpowering,  and  the  ground  was  carpeted  with 
their  gay  leaves  and  delicate  petals.  But  seen 
from  a  little  distance,  the  ceiba-tree  in  bloom  is  one 
of  the  most  splendid  productions  of  Nature — a  gi- 
gantic bouquet,  which  requires  a  whole  forest  to  sup- 
ply the  contrasting  green  !  The  flowers  are  rapidly - 
succeeded  by  a  multitude  of  pods,  which  grow  to 
the  size  and  shape  of  a  goose-egg.  When  ripe,  they 
burst  open,  revealing  the  interior  filled  with  a  very 


CEIBA-TREE     AND     RAIN-PLANT.  185 

soft,  light  cotton  or  silky  fibre,  attached  as  floats  to 
diminutive  seeds,  which  are  thus  wafted  far  and 
wide  by  the  winds.  This  process  is  repeated  three 
times  a  year.  I  am  not  aware  that  the  cotton  has 
ever  been  manufactured,  or  applied  to  any  more 
useful  purpose  than  that  of  stuffing  pillows  and 
mattresses. 

The  trunk  of  the  ceiba,  however,  is  invaluable  to 
the  natives.  The  wood  is  easily  worked,  and  is, 
moreover,  light  and  buoyant,  and  not  liable  to  split 
by  exposure  to  the  sun.  For  these  reasons,  it  is 
principally  used  for  dories,  pitpans,  and  the  difier- 
ent  varieties  of  boats  required  on  the  coast,  al- 
though, for  the  smaller  canoes,  the  cedar  and  ma- 
hogany are  sometimes  substituted.  The  mahogany 
boats,  however,  are  rather  heavy,  while  the  cedar  is 
liable  to  split  in  what  is  called  "  beaching."  I  have 
seen  dories  hollowed  from  a  single  trunk  of  the  ce- 
bia,  in  which  a  tall  man  might  comfortably  he  at 
length  across  the  bottom,  and  which  were  capable 
of  carrying  fifty  persons. 

But  the  ceibas  of  our  encampment  supported, 
besides  their  own  verdure,  a  mass  of  lianes  or 
climbers,  of  many  varieties,  as  also,  numerous  par- 
asitic plants,  and  among  them  the  wild-pine  or  rain- 
plant,  which  served  us  a  most  useful  purpose.  Sev- 
eral of  these  grew  in  the  principal  forks  of  the  trees, 
to  the  height  of  from  four  to  six  feet.  Their  leaves 
are  broad,  and  wrap  round  on  themselves,  like  a 
roll,  forming  reservoirs,  in  which  the  rain  and  dew 
is  collected  and  retained,  safe  from  sun  and  wind. 


186  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

Each  leaf  -will  hold  about  a  quart  of  water,  which 
looks  clear  and  tempting  in  its  green,  translucent 
goblet.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  rain-plant,  we 
would  have  suffered  very  often  from  thirst,  among 
those  brackish  lagoons,  where  fresh  water  is  ob- 
tained with  difficulty. 

With  the  night,  we  resumed  our  stealthy  course 
to  the  northward,  guided  by  the  familiar  north  star, 
which  here,  however,  circles  so  low  in  the  horizon, 
as  hardly  to  be  visible  above  the  trees.  The  long 
and  narrow  lagoon  contracted  more  and  more,  until 
it  presented  a  single  channel,  perhaps  a  hundred 
yards  wide,  closely  lined  with  mangroves,  which, 
rising  like  a  wall  on  both  sides,  prevented  us  from 
making  out  the  character  of  the  back  country.  In 
passing  through  some  of  the  numerous  bends,  I 
nevertheless  caught  star-light  glimpses  of  distant 
hills,  and  high  grounds  in  the  direction  of  the  in- 
terior. The  channel  soon  began  to  trend  to  the 
north-east,  and  there  was  a  considerable  current  in 
that  direction.  I  was  concerned  lest,  notwithstand- 
ing all  my  caution,  I  had  lost  the  clew  to  the  la- 
goons, and  taken  some  one  of  the  outlets  into  the 
sea.  We  nevertheless  kept  on,  steadily  and  rapidly, 
discovering  no  signs  of  habitations  on  the  banks, 
until  near  morning,  when  my  suspicions  were  con- 
firmed by  a  monotonous  sound,  which  I  had  no  dif- 
ficulty in  recognizing  as  the  beating  of  the  sea.  I 
was  therefore  greatly  relieved  when  the  narrow 
channel,  which  we  were  traversing,  expanded  sud- 
denly into  a  beautiful  lagoon,  which  I  subsequently 


TONGLA     LAGOON.  187 

ascertained  was  called  "  Tongla  Lagoon/'  It  is 
triangular  in  shape,  extending  off  to  the  north- 
west. 

I  was  weary  of  dodging  the  Sambos,  and  deter- 
mined, as  the  wind  was  blowing  fresh,  to  put  up 
our  sail,  and  standing  boldly  through  the  lagoon, 
take  the  risk  of  recognition  and  pursuit.  There 
never  was  a  brighter  day  on  earth,  and  our  little 
boat  seemed  emulous  to  outstrip  the  wind.  Gather- 
ing confidence  from  our  speed,  I  got  out  my  fishing 
line,  and,  attaching  a  bit  of  cotton  cloth  to  the 
hook,  trailed  it  after  the  boat.  It  had  hardly 
touched  the  water  before  it  was  caught  by  a  kind 
of  rock-fish,  called  snapper  by  the  English  resi- 
dents, and  coivatucker  by  the  Mosquitos.  It  is  only 
from  ten  to  twelve  inches  in  length,  but  broad  and 
heavy.  Antonio  recognized  it  as  one  of  the  best  of 
the  small  fishes,  and  I  continued  the  sport  of  catch- 
ing them,  until  it  would  have  been  wanton  waste  to 
have  taken  more.  I  found  them  to  be  of  two 
varieties,  the  red  and  black,  of  which  the  latter 
proved  to  be  the  most  delicate,  I  also  caught  two 
fish  of  a  larger  kind,  called  hay^acouta,  each  about 
twenty  inches  in  length,  resembling  our  blue-fish. 
It  is  equally  ravenous,  and  has  a  like  firm  and  pal- 
atable flesh.  I  am  not  sure  that  it  is  not  the  true 
blue-fish,  although  I  afterward  caught  some  in  the 
Bay  of  Honduras  which  were  between  three  and 
four  feet  in  length. 

In  order  to  get  the  full  benefit  of  the  land-breeze, 
we  kept  well  over  to  the  seaward  or  eastern   side 


188  THE    MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

of  the  lagoon.  As  the  lagoon  narrowed,  our  course 
gradually  brought  us  close  in  shore.  I  had  observed 
some  palm-trees  oh  the  same  side  of  the  lagoon,  but 
the  ground  seemed  so  low,  and  tangled  with  ver- 
dure, that  I  doubted  if  the  trees  indicated,  as  they 
usually  do,  a  village  at  their  feet,  I  nevertheless 
maintained  a  sharp  look-out,  and  kept  the  boat  as 
near  to  the  wind  as  possible,  so  as  to  slip  by  with- 
out observation.  It  was  not  until  we  were  abreast 
of  the  palms,  that  I  saw  signs  of  human  habita- 
tions. But  then  I  made  out  a  large  number  of 
canoes  drawn  up  in  a  little  bay,  and,  through  a  nar- 
row vista  in  the  trees,  saw  distinctly  a  considerable 
collection  of  huts.  There  were  also  several  of  the 
inhabitants  moving  about  among  the  canoes. 

I  observed  also  that  our  boat  had  attracted  atten- 
tion, and  that  a  number  of  men  were  hurrying  down 
to  the  shore.  I  was  in  hopes  that  they  would  be 
content  with  regarding  us  from  a  distance,  and  was 
not  a  little  annoyed  when  I  saw  two  large  boats 
push  from  the  landing.  We  did  not  stop  to  specu- 
late upon  their  purj)oses,  but  shook  out  every  thread 
of  our  little  sail,  and  each  taking  a  paddle,  we  fell 
to  work  with  a  determination  of  giving  our  pursuers 
as  pretty  a  chase  as  ever  came  off  on  the  Mosquito 
Shore.  It  was  now  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  I  felt  confident  that  we  could  not  be  overtaken, 
if  at  all,  before  night,  and  then  it  would  be  com- 
paratively easy  to  elude  them. 

Our  pursuers  had  no  sails,  but  their  boats  were 
larger,  and  numerously  manned  by  men  more  used 


THE    chase! 


189 


to  the  paddle  than  either  Antonio  or  myself.  While 
the  wind  lasted,  we  rather  increased  our  distance, 
hut  as  the  sun  went  down  the  hreeze  declined,  and 
our  sail   became  useless.     So  we  were  ohliired  to 


T  n  K    CHASE    ox    T  0  N  a  L  A    LAGOON. 


take  it  in,  and  trust  to  our  paddles,  alone.  This 
gave  our  pursuers  new  courage,  and  I  could  hear 
their  shouts  echoed  back  from  the  shores.  When 
night  fell  they  had  shortened  their  distance  to  less 
than  half  what  it  had  been  at  the  outset,  and  were 
so  near  that  we  could  almost  make  out  their  words  ; 
for,  during  quiet  nights,  on  these  lagoons,  voices 
can  be  distinguished  at  the  distance  of  a  mile.  The 
lagoon  narrowed  more  and  more,  and  was  evidently 
getting  to  be  as  contracted  as  the  channel  by  which 
we  had  entered.  This  was  against  us ;  for,  al- 
though we  had  almost  lost  sight  of  our  pursuers  in 
the  gathering  darkness,  our  safety  depended  entirely 
upon  our  slij)ping,  unobserved,  into  some  narrow 
creek.     But  we  strained  our  eyes  in  vain,  to  discover 


190  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

suck  a  retreat.  The  mangroves  presented  one  dark, 
unbroken  front. 

The  conviction  was  now  forced  upon  me  that,  in 
spite  of  all  our  efforts  to  avoid  it,  we  were  to  be 
involved  in  a  second  fight.  I  laid  aside  my  paddle, 
and  got  out  my  gun.  And  now  I  experienced  again 
the  same  ague-like  sensations  which  I  have  de- 
scribed as  preceding  our  struggle  on  the  Prinza- 
pulka.  It  required  the  utmost  effort  to  keep  my 
teeth  from  chattering  audibly.  I  had  a  singular 
and  painful  sensation  of  fullness  about  the  heart. 
So  decided  were  all  these  phenomena,  that,  not- 
withstanding our  danger,  I  felt  glad  it  was  so  dark 
that  my  companions  could  not  see  my  weakness. 
But  soon  the  veins  in  my  temj)les  began  to  swell 
with  blood,  pulsating  with  tense  sharpness,  like  the 
vibration  of  a  bow-string  ;  and  then  the  muscles 
became  rigid,  and  firm  as  iron.  I  was  ready  for 
blood  !  Twice  only  have  I  experienced  these  terri- 
ble sensations,  and  God  grant  that  they  may  never 
agonize  my  nerves  again  ! 

Our  enemies  were  now  so  near  that  I  was  on  the 
point  of  venturing  a  random  long  shot  at  them, 
when,  with  a  suppressed  exclamation  of  joy,  Anto- 
nio suddenly  turned  our  canoe  into  a  narrow  creek, 
where  the  mangroves  separated,  like  walls,  on  either 
side.  Where  we  entered,  it  was  scarcely  twenty 
feet  wide,  and  soon  contracted  to  ten  or  twelve. 
We  glided  in  rapidly  for  perhaps  two  hundred 
yards,  when  Antonio  stopped  to  listen.  I  heard 
nothing,  and  gave  the  word  to  proceed.     But  the 


SUCCESSFUL     DEVICE.  191 

crafty  Indian  said  "  No  ;"  and,  carefully  leaning 
over  tlie  edge  of  tlie  boat,  plunged  his  head  in  the 
water.  He  held  it  there  a  few  seconds,  then  started 
up,  exclaiming,  "  They  are  coming  \"  Again  we 
bent  to  the  paddles,  and  drove  the  boat  up  the 
narrow  creek  with  incredible  velocity. 

I  was  so  eager  to  get  a  shot  at  our  pursuers  that 
I  scarcely  comprehended  what  he  meant,  when, 
stopping  suddenly,  Antonio  pressed  his  paddle  in 
my  hands,  and,  exchanging  a  few  hurried  words 
with  the  Poyer  boy,  each  took  a  machete  in  his 
mouth,  and  leaped  overboard,  I  felt  a  sudden 
suspicion  that  they  had  deserted  me,  and  remained 
for  the  time  motionless.  A  moment  after,  they 
called  to  me  from  the  shore,  "  Paddle  !  paddle  !" 
and,  at  the  same  instant,  I  heard  the  blows  of  their 
machetes  ringing  on  the  trunks  of  the  mangroves. 
I  at  once  comprehended  that  they  were  felling  trees 
across  the  narrow  creek,  to  obstruct  the  pursuit ; 
and  I  thi-ew  aside  the  paddle,  and  took  my  gun 
again,  determined  to  protect  my  devoted  friends,  at 
any  hazard.  I  never  forgave  myself  for  my  mo- 
mentary but  ungenerous  distrust  ! 

Our  pursuers  heard  the  sound  of  the  blows,  and, 
no  doubt  comprehending  what  was  going  on,  raised 
loud  shouts,  and  redoubled  their  speed.  Kling  I 
Ming  !  rang  the  machetes  on  the  hard  wood  !  Oh, 
how  I  longed  to  hear  the  crash  of  the  falling  trees  ! 
Soon  one  of  them  began  to  crackle — another  blow, 
and  down  it  fell,  the  trunk  splashing  gloriously  in 
the  water  !     Another  crackle,  a  rapid  rustling  of 


192  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

branches,  and  another  splash  in  the  water  !  It  was 
our  turn  to  shout  now  ! 

I  gave  Antonio  and  the  Poyer  boy  each  a  hearty  em- 
brace, as,  dripping  with  water,  they  clambered  back 
into  our  little  boat.  We  now  pushed  a  few  yards  up  the 
stream,  stopped  close  to  the  slimy  bank,  and  awaited 
our  pursuers,  "  Come  on,  now,"  I  shouted,  "  and 
not  one  of  you  shall  pass  that  rude  bamer  alive  !" 

The  first  boat  ran  boldly  up  to  the  fallen  trees, 
but  the  discharge  of  a  single  barrel  of  my  gun  sent 
it  back,  precipitately,  out  of  reach.  We  could 
distinguish  a  hurried  conversation  between  the 
occupants  of  the  first  boat  and  of  the  second,  when 
the  latter  came  up.  It  did  not  last  long,  and  when 
it  stopped,  Antonio,  in  a  manner  evincing  more 
alarm  than  he  had  ever  before  exhibited,  caught 
me  by  the  arm,  and  explained  hurriedly  that  the 
second  boat  was  going  back,  and  that  the  narrow 
creek,  in  which  we  were,  no  doubt  communicated 
with  the  j)rincipal  channel  by  a  second  mouth. 
While  one  boat  was  thus  blockading  us  in  front, 
the  second  was  hastening  to  assail  us  in  the  rear  ! 
I  comprehended  the  movement  at  once.  Our  delib- 
eration was  short,  for  our  lives  might  depend  upon 
an  improvement  of  the  minutes.  Stealthily,  scarce 
daring  to  breathe,  yet  with  the  utmost  rapidit}^ 
possible,  we  pushed  up  the  creek.  As  Antonio  had 
conjectured,  it  soon  began  to  curve  back  toward 
the  estuary.  We  had  pursued  our  course  perhaps 
ten  or  fifteen  minutes — they  seemed  hours  ! — when 
we   overheard   the   approach    of   the    second   boat. 


FINAL     ESCAPE.  193 

We  at  once  drew  ours  close  to  tlie  bank,  in  the 
gloomiest  covert  we  could  find.  On  came  the  boat, 
the  paddlers,  secure  of  the  success  of  their  device, 
straining  themselves  to  the  utmost.  There  was  a 
moment  of  keen  suspense,  and,  to  our  inexpressible 
relief,  the  boat  passed  by  us.  We  now  resumed 
our  paddles,  and  hastened  on  our  course.  But  before 
we  entered  the  principal  channel,  my  companions 
clambered  into  the  overhanging  mangroves,  and  in 
an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  had  fallen  other 
trees  across  the  creek,  so  as  completely  to  shut  in 
the  boat  which  had  attempted  to  surprise  us. 

The  device  was  successful ;  we  soon  emerged  from 
the  creek,  and  the  sea-breeze  having  now  set  in, 
favorably  to  our  course,  we  were  able  to  put  up  our 
sail,  and  defy  pursuit.  We  saw  nothing  afterward 
of  our  eager  friends  of  Tongla  Lagoon  ! 

Some  time  past  midnight  we  came  to  another  and 
larger  lagoon,  called  "  Wava  Lagoon,"  and,  weary 
and  exhausted  from  nearly  two  days  of  wakefulness, 
hard  labor,  and  excitement,  we  ran  our  boat  ashore 
on  a  little  island,  which  presented  itself,  and  drag- 
ged it  up  into  the  bushes.  We  kindled  a  fire,  cook- 
ed our  fish,  and  then  I  lay  down  in  the  canoe,  and 
went  to  sleep.  I  had  entire  confidence  that  we 
would  not  be  pursued  further,  as  we  were  now  a 
long  way  from  the  coast,  and  in  the  country  of  the 
unmixed  Indians,  who,  so  far  from  recognizing  the 
assumptions  of  the  Sambos,  hold  an  attitude  so  de- 
cidedly hostile  toward  them  that  the  latter  seldom 
venture  into  their  territory. 

9 


194  THE     MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

I  awoke  near  noon,  but  unrefreslied,  with  a  dull 
pain  in  my  head,  a  sensation  of  chilliness,  great  las- 
situde, and  an  entire  absence  of  appetite.  Had 
our  encampment  been  more  favorable,  I  should  not 
have  attempted  to  move  ;  but  the  island  was  small, 
without  water,  and,  moreover,  too  near  the  channel 
leading  to  Tongla  Lagoon  to  be  a  desirable  resting- 
place.  So  we  embarked  about  midday,  and  stood 
across  the  lagoon  for  its  western  shore,  where  the 
ground  appeared  to  rise  rapidly,  and  high  blue 
mountains  appeared  in  the  distance.  The  sun 
shone  out  clearly,  and  the  day  was  sultry,  but  my 
chilliness  increased  momentarily,  and,  in  less  than 
an  hour  after  leaving  the  island,  I  found  myself 
lying  in  the  bottom  of  the  canoe,  wrapped  in  my 
blanket,  and  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  suffering 
from  the  ague.  The  attack  lasted  for  full  two 
hours,  and  was  followed  by  a  bursting  pain  in  my 
head,  and  a  high  fever.  I  had  also  dull  pains  in 
my  back  and  limbs,  which  were  more  difficult  to  be 
borne  than  others  more  acute. 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  Antonio  put 
the  boat  in  shore — for  I  was  too  ill  to  give  direc- 
tions— where  a  bluff  point  ran  out  into  the  lagoon, 
forming  a  small  bay,  with  a  smooth,  sandy  beach. 
A  little  savannah,  similar  to  that  which  I  have  de- 
scribed at  Tapir  Camp,  extended  back  from  the 
bluff,  near  the  centre  of  which,  at  its  highest  point, 
which  commanded  a  beautiful  view  of  the  lagoon, 
rose  a  single  clump  of  pines.     Here  my  companions 


FEVER     CAMP.  196 

carried  me  in  my  hammock,  and  here  they  hastily 
arranged  our  camj). 

When  the  sun  went  down,  my  fever  subsided, 
but  was  followed  by  a  profuse  and  most  debilitating 
sweat.  Meantime  Antonio  had  collected  a  few  nuts 
of  a  kind  which,  I  afterward  ascertained,  is  called 
by  the  English  of  the  West  Indies  2ohysic-nut 
{jatroplia),  which  grows  on  a  low  bush,  on  all  parts 
of  the  coast.  These  he  rapidly  prepared,  and  admin- 
istered them  to  me.  They  operated  powerfully,  both 
as  an  emetic  and  cathartic.  When  their  effects  had 
ceased,  I  fell  asleep,  and  slept  until  morning,  when 
I  awoke  weak,  but  free  from  pain,  or  any  other  symp- 
tom of  illness.  I  congratulated  myself  and  An- 
tonio, but  he  dampened  my  sj^irits  sensibly  by  ex- 
plaining that,  however  well  I  might  feel  for  that 
day,  I  would  be  pretty  sure  to  have  a  recurrence  of 
fever  on  the  next.  And  to  mitigate  the  severity  of 
this,  if  not  entirely  to  prevent  it,  he  presented  to  me 
a  calabash  of  reddish-looking  liquid,  which  he  called 
cinclwna,  and  told  me  to  drink  deeply.  Heavens  !  I 
shall  never  forget  the  bitter  draught,  which  he  com- 
mended to  my  unwilling  lips  every  two  hours  during 
that  black  day  in  my  calendar  !  I  know  what  it  is 
now,  for  my  Mosquito  experiences  have  entailed 
upon  me  a  sneaking  fever  and  ague,  which  avails 
itself*  of  every  pretext  to  remind  me  that  we  are  in- 
separable. Looking  to  my  extensive  consumption 
of  quinine,  I  have  marveled,  since  my  return,  that 
the  price  of  the  drug  has  not  been  doubled  !  Others 
may  look  at  the  stock  quotations,  but  my  principal 


196  THE    MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

interest  in  tlie  commercial  department  of  the  morn- 
ing paper,  is  the  "ruling  rate"  of  quinine!  Not 
having,  as  yet,  discovered  any  considerable  advance, 
I  begin  to  doubt  the  dogma  of  the  economists,  that 
"  the  price  is  regulated  by  the  demand." 

Antonio  was  right.  The  next  day  came,  and  at 
precisely  twelve  o'clock  came  also  the  chill,  the 
fever,  the  dull  pains,  and  the  perspiration,  but  all  in 
a  more  subdued  form.  I  escaped  the  physic-nuts, 
but  the  third  day  brought  a  new  supply  of  the  bit- 
ter liquid,  which  Antonio  told  me  was  decocted 
from  bark  taken  from  the  roots  of  a  species  of 
mangrove-tree.  I  have  never  seen  it  mentioned 
that  the  cinchona  is  found  in  Central  America,  but, 
nevertheless,  it  is  there,  or  something  so  nearly  like 
it,  in  taste  and  effects,  as  to  be  undistinguishable. 
Thin  slips  of  the  bark,  put  into  a  bottle  of  rum, 
made  a  sort  of  cordial  or  bitters,  of  which  I  took 
about  a  wine-glassful  every  morning  and  evening, 
during  the  remainder  of  my  stay  on  the  coast,  with 
beneficial  results. 

I  had  three  recurrences  of  the  fever,  but  the  sun 
passed  the  meridian  on  the  sixth  day  without  bring- 
ing with  it  an  attack — thanks  to  the  rude  but  effect- 
ive "  healing  art "  of  my  Indian  companions.  Ex- 
perience had  taught  them  about  all,  I  think,  that 
has  ever  been  learned  in  the  way  of  treatment  of 
indigenous  complaints.  It  is  only  exotic  diseases,  or 
sweeping  ei)idemics,  that  carry  death  and  desolation 
among  the  aborigines,  whose  ignorance  of  their  na- 
ture and  remedies  invests  them  with  a  terror  which 


PRIMITIVE     PHYSIC.  197 

enhances  the  mortality.  Not  only  was  the  treat- 
ment to  which  I  was  subjected  thoroughly  correct, 
but  the  dieting  was  perfect.  The  only  food  that 
was  given  to  me  consisted  of  the  seeds  of  the  okra 
(Avhich  is  indigenous  on  the  coast),  flavored  by 
being  boiled  with  the  legs  and  wings  of  quails,  and 
small  bits  of  dried  manitee  flesh.  I  only  outraged 
the  notions  of  my  rude  physicians  in  one  respect, 
viz.,  in  insisting  on  being  allowed  to  wash  myself. 
The  Indians  seem  to  think  that  the  effect  of  water 
on  the  body,  or  any  part  of  it,  during  the  period  of 
a  fever,  is  little  less  than  mortal — a  singular  notion, 
which  may  have  some  foundation  in  experience,  if 
not  in  reason.  The  Spaniards,  wisely  or  foolishly, 
entertain  the  same  prejudice  ;  and,  furthermore, 
shut  themselves  up  closely  in  dark  rooms,  when  at- 
tacked by  fever.  At  such  times  they  scarcely  com- 
mend themselves  pleasantly  to  any  of  the  senses. 

From  the  open,  airy  elevation  where  our  camp 
was  established,  as  I  have  already  said,  we  had  an 
extensive  and  beautiful  view  of  the  lagoon.  We 
saw  canoes,  at  various  times,  skirting  the  western 
shore,  and,  from  the  smoke  which  rose  at  intervals, 
we  were  satisfied  that  there  were  there  several  Indian 
villages.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  I  thought  myself  re- 
covered from  my  fever,  which  was  precisely  at  one 
o'clock  past  meridian,  on  the  sixth  day  (the  fever 
due  at  noon  not  having  "  come  to  time"),  I  was 
ready  to  proceed  to  the  Indian  towns.  But  our  de- 
parture was  delayed  for  two  days  more  by  an  un- 
fortunate occurrence,   which  came   near  depriving 


198  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

the  Poyer  boy  of  liis  life,  and  me  of  a  valuable  as- 
sistant ;  for,  while  Antonio  was  supreme  on  land, 
the  Poyer  boy  was  the  leader  on  the  water.  I  al- 
ways called  him — Mosquito  fashion — "  admiral." 

It  seems  that,  while  engaged  in  gathering  dry 
wood,  he  took  hold  of  a  fallen  branch,  under  which 
was  coiled  a  venomous  snake,  known  as  the  tama- 
gasa  (called  by  the  English  tommy-gqff,  and  the 
Mosquitos  piuta-sura,  or  the  poison  snake).  He 
had  scarcely  put  down  his  hand  when  it  struck 
him  in  the  arm.  He  killed  it,  grasped  it  by  the 
tail,  and  hurried  to  our  camp.  I  was  much  alarm- 
ed, for  his  agitation  was  extreme,  and  his  face  and 
whole  body  of  an  ashy  color.  Antonio  was  not  at 
hand,  and  I  was  at  an  utter  loss  what  to  do,  beyond 
tying  a  ligature  tightly  around  the  arm.  The 
Poyer,  however,  retained  his  presence  of  mind,  and, 
unrolling  a  mysterious  little  bundle,  which  con- 
tained his  scanty  wardrobe,  took  out  a  nut  of  about 
the  size  and  much  the  appearance  of  a  horse-chest- 
nut, which  he  hastily  crushed,  and,  mixing  it  with 
water,  drank  it  down.  By  this  time  Antonio  had 
returned,  and,  learning  the  state  of  the  case,  seized 
his  machete,  and  hastened  away  to  the  low  grounds 
on  the  edge  of  the  savannah,  whence  he  came  back, 
in  the  course  of  half  an  hour,  with  a  quantity  of 
some  kind  of  root,  of  which  I  have  forgotten  the 
Indian  name.  It  had  a  strong  smell  of  musk,  im- 
possible to  distinguish  from  that  of  the  genuine 
civet.  This  he  crushed,  and  formed  into  a  kind  of 
poultice,  bound  it  on  the  wounded  arm,  and  gave  the . 


ABOUT    SNAKES.  199 

boy  to  drink  a  strong  infusion  of  the  same.  This 
done,  he  led  him  down  to  the  beach,  dug  a  hole  in 
the  moist  sand,  in  which  he  buried  his  arm  to  the 
shoulder,  pressing  the  sand  closely  around  it.  I 
thought  this  an  emphatic  kind  of  treatment,  which 
might  be  good  for  Indians,  but  which  would  be 
pretty  sure  to  kill  white  men.  The  boy  remained 
with  his  arm  buried  during  the  entire  night,  but, 
next  morning,  barring  being  a  little  pale  and  weak 
from  the  effects  of  these  powerful  remedies,  he  was 
as  well  as  ever,  and  resumed  his  usual  occupations. 
A  light  blue  scratch  alone  indicated  the  place 
where  he  had  been  bitten. 

The  tamagasa  (a  specimen  of  which  I  subse- 
quently obtained,  and  which  now  occupies  a  distin- 
guished place  among  the  reptiles  in  the  Philadel- 
phia Academy),  is  about  two  feet  long.  It  is  of 
the  thickness  of  a  man's  thumb,  with  a  large,  flat 
head,  and  a  lump  in  the  neck  something  like  that  of 
the  cobra,  and  is  marked  with  alternate  black  and 
dusky  white  rings.  It  is  reputed  one  of  the  most 
venomous  serpents  under  the  tropics,  ranking  next 
to  the  beautiful,  but  deadly  corral. 


our  misfortunes,  I  named  our 
encampment,  on  Wava  Lagoon, 
"  Fever  Camp,"  although  so  far 
from  contracting  the  fever  there,  I  am  sure  it  was 
its  open  and  elevated  position  which  contributed  to 
my  recovery.  The  fever  was  rather  due  to  over-ex- 
ertion, and  exposure  at  night  ;  for  the  night-damps, 
on  all  low  coasts  under  the  tropics,  are  unquestion- 
ably deadly,  and  the  traveler  cannot  be  too  careful 
in  avoiding  them.  Early  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
day  of  our  departure  from  "  Fever  Camp,"  we  en- 
tered a  large  stream,  flowing  into  the  lagoon  from 
the  north-west,  upon  the  banks  of  which,  judging 
from  the  direction  of  the  smoke  we  had  seen,  the 
Indian  villages  were  situated.  We  were  not  mis- 
taken.    Before  night  we  came  to  a  village  larger 


TOWKAS    VILLAGE.  201 

than  tliat  on  the  Rio  Grande,  hut  in  other  respects 
much  the  same,  except  that  it  stood  upon  the  edge 
of  an  extensive  savannah,  instead  of  on  the  skirt  of 
an  impenetrable  forest.  Around  it  were  extensive 
plantations  of  cassava,  and  other  fruits  and  vege- 
tables, growing  in  the  greatest  luxuriance,  and  indi- 
cating that  the  soil  of  the  inland  savannahs  does  not 
share  the  aridity  of  those  nearer  the  coast.  This 
was  further  evinced  by  the  scarcity  of  pines, 
which  were  only  to  be  seen  on  the  ridges  or  gentle 
elevations  with  which  the  surface  of  the  savannah 
was  diversified. 

Our  apj)earance  here  created  the  same  excite- 
ment which  it  had  occasioned  at  the  other  places  we 
had  visited,  and  our  reception  was  much  the  same 
with  that  which  we  had  experienced  on  the  Rio 
Grande.  Instead,  however,  of  being  met  by  men 
with  wands,  we  were  welcomed  by  five  old  men,  one 
of  whom  vacated  his  own  hut  for  our  accommoda- 
tion. None  here  could  speak  either  English  or 
Spanish  intelligibly,  but  the  affinity  between  their 
language  and  that  of  my  Foyer  enabled  him  to 
make  known  our  wants,  and  obtain  all  useful  infor- 
miation.  We  were  treated  hospitably,  but  with  the 
utmost  reserve,  and  during  my  whole  stay,  but  a 
single  incident  relieved  the  monotony  of  the  village. 
This  was  a  marriage — and  a  very  ceremonious  affair 
it  was. 

These  Indians,  I  should  explain,  are  called  Tow- 
kas,  or  Toacas,  and  have,  I  presume,  all  the  general 
characteristics  and  habits  of  the  Coola-as  and  Wool- 

9* 


202 


THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 


■was.  These  do,  in  fact,  constitute  a  single  family, 
although  displaying  dialectical  differences  in  their 
language. 


TOWK  AS     INDIANS. 


Among  all  these  Indians,  polygamy  is  an  excep- 
tion, while  among  the  Sambos  it  is  the  rule.  The 
instances  are  few  in  which  a  man  has  more  than  one 
wife,  and  in  these  cases  the  eldest  is  not  only  the 
head  of  the  family,  but  exercises  a  strict  supervision 
over  the  others.  The  betrothals  are  made  at  a  very 
early  age,  by  the  parents,  and  the  affianced  children 
are  marked  in  a  corresponding  manner,  so  that  one 
acquainted  with  the  practice  can  always  point  out 
the  various  mates.  These  marks  consist  of  little 
bands  of  colored  cotton,  worn  either  on  the  arm, 
above  the  elbow,  or  on  the  leg,  below  the  knee, 
which  are  varied  in  color  and  number,  so  that  no 
two  combinations  in  the  village  shall  be  the  same. 
The  combinations  are  made  by  the  old  men,  who  take 


A     TOWKA     MARRIAGE.  203 

care  that  there  shall  be  no  confusion.  The  bands 
are  replaced  from  time  to  time,  as  they  become 
worn  and  faded.  Both  boys  and  girls  also  wear  a 
necklace  of  variously-colored  shells  or  beads,  to 
which  one  is  added  yearly.  When  the  necldace  of 
the  boy  counts  ten  beads  or  shells,  he  is  called 
muJiasal,  a  word  signifying  three  things,  viz.,  ten, 
,all  the  fingers,  and  half-a-man.  AVhen  they  number 
twenty,  he  is  called  'all,  a  word  which  also  signifies 
three  things,  viz.,  twenty,  both  fingers  and  toes, 
and  a  man.  And  he  is  then  efiectively  regarded  as 
a  man.  Should  his  affianced,  by  that  time,  have 
reached  the  age  of  fifteen,  the  marriage  ceremony 
takes  place  without  delay. 

As  I  have  said,  a  sleek  young  Towka  was  called 
upon  to  add  the  final  bead  to  his  string,  and  take 
upon  himself  the  obligations  of  manhood,  during 
my  stay  at  the  village.  The  event  had  been  an- 
ticipated by  the  preparation  of  a  canoe  full  of 
palm-wine,  mixed  with  crushed  plantains,  and  a 
little  honey,  which  had  been  fermenting,  to  the 
utter  disgust  of  my  nostrils,  from  the  date  of  my 
arrival.  The  day  was  observed  as  a  general  holiday. 
Early  in  the  morning  all  the  men  of  the  village  as- 
sembled, and  with  their  knives  carefully  removed 
every  blade  of  grass  which  had  grown  up  inside  of 
a  circle,  perhaps  a  hundred  feet  in  diameter,  situ- 
ated in  the  very  centre  of  the  village,  and  indicated 
by  a  succession  of  stones  sunk  in  the  ground.  The 
earth  was  then  trampled  smooth  and  hard,  after 
which  they  proceeded  to  erect  a  little  hut  in  the 


204  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

very  centre  of  the  circular  area,  above  a  large  flat 
stone  which  was  permanently  planted  there.  This 
hut  was  made  conical,  and  perfectly  close,  except 
an  opening  at  the  top,  and  another  at  one  side, 
toward  the  east,  which  was  temporarily  closed  with 
a  mat,  woven  of  palm-bark.  I  looked  in  without 
hinderance,  and  saw,  piled  up  on  the  stone,  a  quan- 
tity of  the  dry  twigs  of  the  copal-tree,  covered  with 
the  gum  of  the  same.  The  canoe  full  of  liquor  was 
dragged  up  to  the  edge  of  the  circle,  and  literally 
covered  with  small  white  calabashes,  of  the  size  of 
an  ordinary  coffee-cup. 

At  noon,  jjrecisely,  all  the  peoj^le  of  the  village 
hurried,  without  order,  to  the  hut  of  the  bride- 
groom's father.  I  joined  in  the  crowd.  We  found 
the  "  happy  swain  "  arrayed  in  his  best,  sitting  de- 
murely upon  a  bundle  of  articles,  closely  wrapped  in 
a  mat.  The  old  men,  to  whom  I  have  referred, 
formed  in  a  line  in  front  of  him,  and  the  eldest 
made  him  a  short  address.  When  he  had  fin- 
ished, the  next  followed,  until  each  had  had  his 
say.  The  youth  then  got  up  quietly,  shouldered 
his  bundle,  and,  preceded  by  the  old  men,  and 
followed  by  his  father,  marched  off  to  the  hut 
of  the  prospective  bride.  He  put  down  his  load 
before  the  closed  door,  and  seated  himself  upon  it 
in  silence.  The  father  then  rapped  at  the  door, 
which  was  partly  opened  by  an  old  woman,  who 
asked  him  what  he  wanted,  to  which  he  made  some 
reply  which  did  not  appear  to  be  satisfactory,  when 
the  door  was  shut  in  his  face,  and  he  took  his  seat 


PRESENTS    PROPIATORY.  gQ^ 

beside  his  son.  One  of  the  old  men  then  rapped, 
with  precisely  the  same  result,  then  the  next,  and 
so  on.  But  the  old  women  were  obdurate.  The 
bridegroom's  father  tried  it  again,  but  the  she- 
dragons  would  not  open  the  door.  The  old  men 
then  seemed  to  hold  a  council,  at  the  end  of  which 
a  couple  of  drums  (made,  as  I  have  already  ex- 
plained, by  stretching  a  raw  skin  over  a  section  of  a 
hollow  tree),  and  some  rude  flutes  were  sent  for. 
The  latter  were  made  of  pieces  of  bamboo,  and  were 
shaped  somewhat  like  flageolets,  each  having  a 
mouth-piece,  and  four  stops.  The  sound  was  dull 
and  monotonous,  although  not  wholly  unmusical. 

Certain  musicians  now  appeared,  and  at  once 
commenced  playing  on  these  instruments,  breaking 
out,  at  long  intervals,  in  a  kind  of  supplicatory 
chant.  After  an  hour  or  more  of  this  soothins:  and 
rather  sleepy  kind  of  music,  the  inexorable  door 
opened  a  little,  and  one  of  the  female  inmates 
glanced  out  with  much  affected  timidity.  Here- 
upon the  musicians  redoubled  their  efforts,  and  the 
bridegroom  hastened  to  unroll  his  bundle.  It  con- 
tained a  variety  of  articles  supposed  to  be  accept- 
able to  the  parents  of  the  girl.  There  was,  among 
other  things,  a  onacliete,  no  inconsiderable  present, 
when  it  is  understood  that  the  cost  of  one  is  gener- 
ally a  large  dory,  which  it  requires  months  of  toil 
to  fashion  from  the  rough  trunk  of  the  gigantic 
ceiba.  A  string  of  gay  glass  beads  was  also  pro- 
duced from  the  bundle.  All  these  articles  were 
handed  in  to  the  women  one  by  one,  bv  the  father 


^  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

O 

of  the  groom.  With  every  present  the  door  opened 
wider  and  wider,  until  the  mat  was  presented,  when 
it  was  turned  back  to  its  utmost,  revealing  the 
bride  arrayed  in  her  "  prettiest,"  seated  on  a 
crickery,  at  the  remotest  corner  of  the  hut.  The 
dragons  affected  to  be  absorbed  in  examining  the 
presents,  when  the  bridegroom,  watching  his  oppor- 
tunity, dashed  into  the  hut,  to  the  apparent  utter 
horror  and  dismay  of  the  women  ;  and,  grasping  the 
girl  by  the  waist,  shouldered  her  like  a  sack,  and 
started  off  at  a  trot  for  the  mystic  circle,  in  the  centre 
of  the  village.  The  women  pursued,  as  if  to  over- 
take him  and  rescue  the  girl,  uttering  cries  for  help, 
while  all  the  crowd  huddled  after.  But  the  youth 
was  too  fast  for  them  ;  he  reached  the  ring,  and 
lifting  the  vail  of  the  hut,  disappeared  within  it. 
The  women  could  not  pass  the  circle,  and  all 
stopped  short  at  its  edge,  and  set  up  a  chorus  of 
despairing  shrieks,  while  the  men  all  gathered 
within  the  charmed  ring,  where  they  squatted  them- 
selves, row  on  row,  facing  outward.  The  old  men 
alone  remained  standing,  and  a  bit  of  lighted  jjine 
having  meanwhile  been  brought,  one  of  them  ap- 
proached the  hut,  lifted  the  mat,  and,  handing  in 
the  fire,  made  a  brief  speech  to  the  inmates.  A 
few  seconds  after  an  aromatic  smoke  curled  up  from 
the  opening  in  the  top  of  the  little  hut,  from  which 
I  infer  that  the  copal  had  been  set  on  fire.  What 
else  happened,  I  am  sure  I  do  not  know  ! 

When  they  saw  the  smoke,  the  old  women  grew 
silent  and  expectant  ;  but,  by-and-by,  when  it  sub- 


MARKIAGE     FESTIVAL.  207 

sided,  they  became  suddenly  gay,  and  "went  in 
strong"  for  the  festivities,  which,  up  to  this  time,  I 
must  confess,  I  had  thought  rather  slow.  But  here 
t  may  ex|)lain,  that  although  the  bridegroom  has 
Qo  choice  in  the  selection  of  his  wife,  yet  if  he  have 
reason  for  doing  so,  he  may,  while  the  copal  is 
burning,  take  her  in  his  arms,  and  cast  her  outside 
of  the  circle,  in  the  open  day,  before  the  entire  peo- 
ple, and  thus  rid  himself  of  her  forever.  But  in 
this  case,  the  matter  is  carefully  investigated  by  the 
old  men,  and  woe  betide  the  wretch  who,  by  this 
pubhc  act,  has  impeached  a  girl  wrongfully  !  Woe 
equally  betide  the  girl  who  is  j^roved  to  have  been 
"  put  away"  for  good  reasons.  If,  however,  the  copal 
burns  out  quietly,  the  groom  is  supposed  to  be  sat- 
isfied, and  the  marriage  is  complete. 

The  copal,  in  this  instance,  burned  out  in  the 
most  satisfactory  manner,  and  then  the  drums  and 
flutes  struck  up  a  most  energetic  air,  the  music  of 
which  consisted  of  about  eight  notes,  repeated  with 
difierent  degrees  of  rapidity,  by  way  of  giving  va- 
riety to  the  melody.  The  men  all  kept  their 
places,  while  I  was  installed  in  a  seat  of  honor  be- 
side the  old  men.  The  women,  who,  as  I  have 
said,  could  not  come  within  the  circle,  now  com- 
menced filling  the  calabashes  from  the  canoe,  and 
passing  them  to  the  squatting  men,  commencing 
with  the  ancients  and  the  "  distinguished  guests" — for 
Antonio  and  my  Poyer  were  included  in  our  party. 
There  was  nothing  said,  but  the  women  disjjlayed 
the   greatest   activity  in  filling  the  emptied  cala- 


208  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

bashes.  I  soon  discovered  that  every  body  was  de- 
liberately and  in  cold  blood  getting  up  of  what 
Captain  Drummer  called  the  "  big  drunk  !"  That 
was  part  of  the  performance  of  the  day,  and  the 
Indians  went  at  it  in  the  most  orderly  and  expedi- 
tious manner.  They  wasted  no  time  in  coyish  pre- 
liminaries— a  practice  which  might  be  followed  in 
more  civilized  countries,  to  the  great  economy,  not 
only  of  time,  but  of  the  vinous.  It  was  not  from 
the  love  of  the  drink  that  the  Towkas  imbibed,  I 
can  well  believe,  for  their  cMcha  was  bad  to  look  at, 
and  worse  to  taste. 

With  the  fourth  round  of  the  calabashes,  an  oc- 
casional shout  betrayed  the  effects  of  the  chicha 
upon  some  of  the  weaker  heads.  These  shouts  be- 
came more  and  more  frequent,  and  were  sometimes 
uttered  with  a  savage  emphasis,  which  was  rather 
startling.  The  musicians,  too,  became  more  ener- 
getic, and  as  the  sun  declined,  the  excitement  rose, 
until,  unable  to  keep  quiet  any  longer,  all  hands 
got  up,  and  joined  in  a  slow,  swinging  step  around 
the  circle,  beating  with  their  knuckles  on  the  empty 
calabashes,  and  joining  at  intervals  in  a  kind  of  re- 
frain, at  the  end  of  which  every  man  struck  the 
bottom  of  his  calabash  against  that  of  his  neigh- 
bor. Then,  as  they  came  round  by  the  canoe,  each 
one  dipped  his  calabash  full  of  the  contents.  The 
liquid  thus  taken  up  w^as  drunk  at  a  single  draught, 
and  then  the  dance  went  on,  growing  more  rapid 
with  every  dip  of  the  calabash.  It  got  to  the  stage 
of  a  trot,  and  then  a  fast  pace,  and  finally  into 


DEAD    drunk!  209 

something  little  short  of  a  gallop,  but  still  in  per- 
fect time.  The  rattling  of  the  calabashes  had  now 
grown  so  rapid,  as  almost  to  be  continuous,  and  the 
motion  so  involved  and  quick,  that,  as  I  watched  it, 
I  felt  that  kind  of  giddiness  which  one  often  expe- 
riences in  watching  the  gliding  of  a  swift  current 
of  water.  This  movement  could  not  be  kept  up 
long,  even  with  the  aid  of  chicha,  and  whenever  a 
dancer  became  exhausted,  he  would  wheel  out  of 
line,  and  throw  himself  flat  on  his  face  on  the 
ground.  Finally,  every  one  gave  in,  except  two 
young  follows,  who  seemed  determined  to  do,  in 
their  way,  what  other  fast  young  men,  in  other 
countries,  sometimes  undertake  to  accomplish,  viz.  : 
drink  each  other  down,  or  "  under  the  table."  They 
danced  and  drunk,  and  were  applauded  by  the  wo- 
men, but  were  so  closely  matched  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  tell  which  had  the  best  chance  of  keep- 
ing it  up  longest.  In  fact,  each  seemed  to  despair 
of  the  other,  and,  as  if  by  a  common  impulse,  both 
threw  aside  their  calabashes,  and  resolved  the  con- 
test from  a  trial  of  endurance  into  one  of  strength, 
leaping  at  each  other's  throats,  and  fastening  their 
teeth  like  tigers  in  each  other's  flesh. 

There  was  instantly  a  great  uproar,  and  those  of 
the  men  who  had  the  abihty  to  stand,  clustered 
around  the  combatants  in  a  confused  mass,  shout- 
ing at  the  stretch  of  their  lungs,  and  evidently,  as  I 
thought,  regarding  it  as  a  "  free  fight."  But  there 
was  little  damage  done,  for  the  old  men,  though 
emphatically  "  tight,"  had  discretion  enough  to  send 


210 


THE    MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 


the  women  for  thongs,  with  which  the  pugnacious 
youths  were  incontinently  bound  hand  and  foot,  and 
dragged  close  to  the  hut  in  the  centre,  and  there 
left  to  cool  themselves  off  as  they  were  best  able,  no 
one  taking  the  slightest  notice  of  them.  "  Verily," 
I  ejaculated  to  myself,  "  wisdom  knoweth  no 
country." 

The  dance  which  I  have  described  was  resumed 
from  time  to  time,  until  it  became  quite  dark,  when 
the  women  brought  a  large  number  of  pine  splinters, 
of  which  the  men  each  took  one.  These  were  lighted, 
and  then  the  dancers  paced  u^)  to  the  little  hut,  and 
each  tore  off  one  of  the  branches  of  which  it  was 


built,  finally  disclosing  the  newly-married  couple 
sitting  demurely  side  by  side.  As  soon  as  the  hut 
was  demolished,  the  groom  quietly  took  his  bride 
on  his  back — literally  "  shouldering  the  responsibil- 
ity !" — and  marched  off  to  the  hut  which  had  previ- 


A     SWEET    SAVANNAH.  211 

ously  been  built  for  his  accommodation,  escorted  by 
the  procession  of  men  with  torches.  This  was  the 
final  ceremony  of  the  night,  although  some  of  the 
more  dissipated  youths  returned  to  the  canoe,  and 
kept  up  a  drumming,  and  piping,  and  dancing, 
until  morning.  Next  day  every  body  brought  pres- 
ents of  some  kind  to  the  newly-married  pair,  so  as 
to  give  them  a  fair  start  in  the  world,  and  enable 
them  to  commence  life  on  equal  terms  with  the  best 
in  the  village. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  find  on  earth  any  thing 
more  beautiful  than  the  savannah  which  spread  out, 
almost  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  behind  the 
Towkas  village.  Along  the  river's  bank  rose  a  tan- 
gled wall  of  verdure  ;  giant  ceibas,  feathery  palms, 
and  the  snake-like  trunks  of  the  7nata-palo,  all 
bound  together,  and  draped  over  with  cable-like 
lianes,  (the  tie-tie  of  the  English,)  and  the  tena- 
cious tendrils  of  myriads  of  creeping  and  flowering 
plants.  Unlike  the  wearying,  monotonous  prairies 
of  the  West,  the  savannah  was  relieved  by  clumps  of 
acacias — among  them  the  delicate-leaved  gum-ar- 
abic— palmettos,  and  dark  groups  of  pines,  arranged 
with  such  harmonious  disorder,  and  admirable  pic- 
turesque effect,  that  I  could  scarcely  believe  the 
hand  of  art  had  not  lent  its  aid  to  heighten  the  ef- 
forts of  nature  in  her  happiest  mood. 

Finding  retreats  in  the  dense  coverts  of  the  jun- 
gles on  the  river's  bank,  or  among  the  clustering 
groups  of  bushes  and  trees,  the  antelope  and  deer, 
the  Indian  rabbit  and  gibeonite,  wandered  securely 


212  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

over  the  savannah,  nipping  the  young  grass,  or 
chasing  each  other  in  mimic  alarm.  Here,  too, 
might  be  observed  the  crested  curassow,  with  his 
stately  step,  the  plumptitudinous  qualm,  and  the 
crazy  chachalca,  (coqttericot,)  besides  innumerable 
quails — all  fitting  food  for  omnivorous  man,  but  so 
seldom  disturbed  as  not  to  recognize  him  as  their 
most  dangerous  enemy.  Then  night  and  morning 
the  air  was  filled  with  deafening  parrots,  noisy  ma- 
caws, and  quick-darting,  chattering  paroquets. 

I  rose  early  every  day,  and  with  my  gun  in  my 
hand,  strayed  far  over  the  savannah,  inhaling  the 
freshness  of  the  morning  air,  and  shooting  such 
game  as  looked  fat,  tender,  and  otherwise  accept- 
able to  my  now  fastidious  appetite.  The  curassow, 
(called  cossu  by  the  Mosquitos,)  is  one  of  the  finest 
birds  in  the  world.  It  is  about  the  size  of  the  tur- 
key, but  has  stronger  and  longer  legs.  The  plumage 
is  dark  brown  or  black,  ash-colored  about  the  neck, 
and  of  a  reddish  brown  on  the  breast.  On  its  head 
it  has  a  crest  of  white  feathers  tipped  with  black, 
which  it  raises  and  depresses  at  pleasure.  The  flesh 
is  whiter  than  that  of  a  turkey,  but  rather  dry,  re- 
quiring a  different  mode  of  cooking  than  is  practiced 
in  the  woods,  to  bring  out  its  qualities  in  perfection. 
It  is  easily  tamed,  as  are  also  the  qualra  and  cha- 
chalaca.  The  latter,  when  old,  is  tough,  but  when 
young,  its  flesh  cannot  be  surpassed  for  delicacy 
and  flavor. 

The  animal  called  the  Indian  rabbit  is  very 
numerous,  and  is  a  variety  of  what,  in  South  Amer- 


EPISODE     EPICURIAN.  213 

ica,  is  called  the  agouti.  It  is  about  the  size  of  a 
rabbit  :  body  plump  ;  snout  long,  and  rather  sharp  ; 
nose  divided  at  the  tip,  and  upper  jaw  longer  than 
the  lower  ;  hind  legs  longer  than  the  anterior  ones, 
and  furnished  with  but  three  toes  ;  tail  short,  and 
scarcely  visible,  while  its  body  is  covered  with  a 
hard,  shining,  reddish-brown  hair,  freckled  with 
dark  spots.  It  lives  upon  vegetables,  holds  its  food 
in  eating,  like  a  squirrel,  and  has  a  vicious  propen- 
sity for  biting  and  gnawing  whatever  it  comes  near. 
For  this  reason  it  is  a  nuisance  in  the  neighborhood 
of  jilantations,  and,  as  it  multiplies  rapidly,  it  is 
about  the  only  animal  which  is  hunted  systemati- 
cally by  the  Indians.     Its  flesh  is  only  passable. 

The  giheonite  (cavia-paca),  sometimes  called 
pig-rahhit,  closely  resembles  the  guinea-pig,  but  is 
something  larger.  The  head  is  round  ;  the  muzzle 
short  and  black  ;  the  upper  jaw  longer  than  the 
lower  ;  the  lip  divided,  like  that  of  a  hare  ;  the 
nostrils  large,  and  the  whiskers  long  ;  eyes  brown, 
large,  and  prominent  ;  ears  short  and  naked  ;  neck 
thick  ;  body  very  plumj),  larger  behind  than  be- 
fore, and  covered  with  coarse,  short  hair,  of  a 
dusky  brown  color,  deepest  on  the  back  ;  the 
throat,  breast,  inside  of  the  limbs,  and  belly  dingy 
white  ;  and  on  each  side  of  the  body  are  five  rows 
of  dark  spots,  jilaced  close  to  each  other.  The  legs 
are  short,  the  feet  have  five  toes,  with  strong  nails, 
and  the  tail  is  a  simple  conic  projection.  Its  flesh 
is  peculiarly  juicy  and  rich,  and,  baked  in  the 
ground,  the  animal  makes  a  dish  for  an  epicure.     I 


214  THE     MOSQUITO    SHORE, 

believe  I  did  not  let  a  day  pass  without  having  a 
haked  giheonite. 

Among  the  Indians  of  the  village,  the  eggs  and 
flesh  of  the  river  turtle  were  favorite  articles  of 
food  ;  and  in  constantly  using  them,  I  thought  they 
evinced  a  proper  appreciation  of  what  is  good. 
There  are  two  varieties  of  these  turtles,  one  called 
hocatoro  (Mosquito  cliouswat),  and  the  other  heca- 
tee.  The  latter  is  seldom  more  than  eighteen  inches 
long,  but  its  shell  is  very  deep.  We  cooked  them 
by  simply  separating  the  lower  shell,  taking  out  the 
entrails,  and  stuffing  the  cavity  with  cassava, 
pieces  of  plantain,  manitee  fat,  and  various  condi- 
ments, then  wrapping  it  in  plantain  leaves,  as  I 
have  described,  and  turning  it  back  down,  baking 
it  in  the  ground.  It  always  required  a  good  bed  of 
coals  to  cook  it  properly,  but  when  rightly  done,  the 
result  was  a  meal  preeminently  savory  and  palata- 
ble. The  Indian  boys  brought,  literally,  bushels  of 
the  eggs  of  these  turtles  from  the  bars  and  sand- 
spits  of  the  river  and  lagoon.  These  are  very  deli- 
cate when  entirely  fresh. 


E  were  not  many  days  in  exhausting 
the  resources  of  the  Towkas  village, 
in  the  way  of  adventures  ;  and,  one 
w  "^flii^  /i  A  sunny  afternoon,  packed  our  little 
boat,  and,  bidding  our  entertainers  good-by,  pad- 
dled down  the  river,  on  our  voyage  to  Sandy  Bay — 
next  to  Bluefields,  the  principal  Sambo  establish- 
ment on  the  coast.  Our  course  lay,  a  second  time, 
through  Wava  Lagoon,  which  connects,  by  a  nar- 
row and  intricate  channel  or  creek,  with  a  larger 
lagoon  to  the  northward,  called  Duckwarra.  The 
night  was  quiet  and  beautiful — the  crescent  moon 
filling  the  air  with  a  subdued  and  dreamy  light, 
soothing  and  slumbrous,  and  so  blending  the  real 
with  the  ideal  that  I  sometimes  imagine  it  might 
all  have  been  a  dream  !  My  companions,  if  they 
did  not  share  the  influences  of  the  night,  "at  least 
respected  my  silence,  and  we  glided   on  and  on. 


216  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

without  a  sound  save  the  steady  dip  of  the  paddles, 
and  the  gentle  rijDple  of  the  water,  which  closed  in 
mimic  whirlpools  on  our  track. 

When  morning  broke,  we  had  already  entered 
Duckwarra  Lagoon,  the  largest  we  had  encountered 
since  leaving  Pearl-Cay.  It  had  the  same  appear- 
ance with  all  the  others,  and,  having  nothing  to  de- 
tain us,  we  steered  directly  across,  only  stopping 
near  noon  on  one  of  the  numerous  islets,  to  cook 
our  breakfast,  and  escape  the  midday  heats.  This 
islet  was,  perhaps,  two  hundred  yards  across,  and 
elevated  in  the  centre  some  fifteen  or  twenty  feet 
above  the  water.  Near  the  ajDCx  were  growing  a 
number  of  ancient  palms,  and,  strolling  up  to  them, 
I  found  at  their  roots  a  small  elevation,  or  tumu- 
lus, perhaps  fifteen  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base, 
and  five  or  six  feet  high.  Its  regularity  arrested 
my  attention,  and  led  me  to  believe  that  it  was  ar- 
tificial. I  called  to  Antonio,  who  at  once  pro- 
nounced it  a  burying-place  of  the  "  Antiguos."  I 
proposed  opening  it,  but  my  companions  seemed 
loth  to  disturb  the  resting-place  of  the  dead.  How- 
ever, finding  that  I  had  commenced  the  work  with- 
out them,  they  joined  me,  and  with  our  machetes 
and  paddles,  we  rapidly  removed  the  earth.  Near 
the  original  surface  of  the  ground,  we  came  to  some 
bones,  but  they  were  so  much  decayed  that  they 
crumbled  beneath  the  fingers.  Uncovering  them 
further,  we  found  at  the  head  of  the  skeleton  a 
rude  vase,  which  was  got  out  without  much  dam- 
age.   Carefully  removing  the  earth  from  the  interior 


ABORIGINAL     RELICS,  217 

I  found  that  it  contained  a  number  of  chalcedonic 
pebbles,  pierced  as  if  for  beads,  a  couple  of  arrow- 
heads of  similar  material,  and  a  small  ornament  of 
tbin,  plate  gold,  rudely  representing  a  human  fig- 
ure, as  shown  in  the  accompanying  engraving,  which 
is  of  the  size  of  the  original.  At  the  feet  of  the 
skeleton  we  also  discovered  another  small 
vase  of  coarse  pottery,  which,  however,  con- 
tained no  relics.  Antonio  seemed  much 
interested  in  the  little  golden  image,  but 
finally,  after  minute  examination,  returned 
it  to  me,  saying,  that  although  his  own 
people  in  Yucatan  often  buried  beneath 
tumuli,  and  had  golden  idols  which  they 
placed  with  the  dead,  yet,  in  workmanship, 
they  were  unlike  the  one  we  had  discovered, 

"  Ah  !"  he  continued,  his  eyes  lighting 
with  unusual  fire,  "  you  should  see  the  works  of  our 
ancestors  !  They  were  gods,  those  ancient,  holy 
men  !  Their  temples  were  built  for  them  by  Kabul, 
the  Lord  of  the  Powerful  Hand,  who  set  the  seal  of 
his  bloody  palm  upon  them  all !  You  shall  go  with 
me  to  the  sacred  lake  of  the  Itzaes,  where  our 
people  are  gathered  to  receive  the  directions  of  the 
Lord  of  Teaching,  whose  name  is  Votan  Balam,  who 
led  our  fathers  thither,  and  who  has  promised  to 
rescue  them  from  their  afilictions  !" 

He  stopped  suddenly,  as  if  alarmed  at  what  he 
had  said,  kissed  his  talisman,  and  relapsed  again 
into  the  quiet,  mild-eyed  Indian  boy,  submissively 
awaiting  my  orders. 

10 


218  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

We  left  Duckworra  Lagoon  by  a  creek  connecting 
it  with  Sandy  Bay  Lagoon,  and  on  the  second  after- 
noon from  Wava  Kiver,  arrived  at  the  Sambo  settle- 
ment, which  is  on  its  southern  shore,  about  eight 
miles  from  the  sea.  It  stands  upon  the  edge  of  a 
savannah,  that  rises  to  the  southward  and  east- 
ward, forming,  toward  the  sea,  a  series  of  bluffs, 
the  principal  of  which  is  called  Bragman's  Bluff, 
and  is  the  most  considerable  land-mark  on  the 
coast. 

The  town  has  something  the  appearance  of  Blue- 
fields,  and  contains  perhaps  five  hundred  inhabit- 
ants, who  affect  "  English  fashion"  in  dress  and 
modes  of  living.  That  is  to  say,  many  of  them 
wear  English  hats,  even  when  destitute  of  every 
other  article  of  clothing,  except  the  tournou,  or 
breech-cloth.  These  hats  are  of  styles  running 
back  for  thirty  years,  and,  moreover,  crushed  into  a 
variety  of  shapes  which  are  infinitely  ludicrous, 
especially  when  the  wearers  affect  gravity  or  dig- 
nity, A  naked  man  cannot  make  himself  abso- 
lutely ridiculous,  for  nature  never  exposes  her  crea- 
tions to  humiliation  ;  but  the  attempts  at  art,  in 
making  up  the  man  on  the  Mosquito  Shore,  I  must 
confess,  were  melancholy  failures. 

Before  we  got  to  the  village,  the  beating  of  drums, 
and  the  occasional  firing  off  of  muskets,  announced 
that  some  kind  of  a  feast  or  celebration  was  going 
on.  As  we  approached  nearer  I  saw  the  English 
flag  displayed  upon  a  tall  bamboo,  planted  in  the 
centre  of  a  group  of  huts,     I  saw  also  a  couple  of 


THE    SAMBOS    OF     SANDY     BAY.  219 

boats,  of  European  construction,  drawn  up  on  the 
beach,  from  which  I  inferred  that  there  must  be  a 
trading  vessel  on  the  coast,  and  that  I  was  just  in 
time  to  witness  one  of  the  orgies  which  always  fol- 
low upon  such  an  event.  I  had  had  some  misgiv- 
ings as  to  the  probable  reception  we  should  meet,  in 
case  the  news  of  our  affair  with  the  Quamwatlas 
had  reached  here,  and  felt  not  a  little  reassured 
when  I  saw  indications  of  the  presence  of  foreigners. 

The  people  were  all  so  absorbed  with  their  fes- 
tivities that  our  approach  was  not  noticed  ;  but 
when  we  got  close  to  the  shore,  I  fired  off  both  bar- 
rels of  my  gun  by  way  of  salute.  An  instant  after, 
a  number  of  men  came  out  from  among  the  huts, 
and  hurried  down  to  the  beach.  Meantime  I  had 
got  out  my  "  King-paper,"  and  leaped  ashore. 

The  crowd  that  huddled  around  me  would  have 
put  Falstaffs  tatterdemalion  army  to  shame.  The 
most  conspicuous  character  among  them  wore  a 
red  check  shirt,  none  of  the  cleanest,  and  a  thread- 
bare undress  coat  of  a  British  general,  but  had 
neither  shoes  nor  breeches.  Nor  was  he  equally 
favored  with  Captain  Drummer  in  respect  of  a  hat. 
Instead  of  a  venerable  chapeau,  like  that  worn  by 
the  captain  with  so  much  dignity,  he  had  an 
ancient  bell-crowned  "  tile,"  which  had  once  been 
white,  but  was  now  of  equivocal  color,  and  which, 
apparently  from  having  been  repeatedly  used  as  a 
seat,  was  crushed  up  bellows'  fashion,  and  cocked 
forward  in  a  most  absurd  manner. 

The  wearer  of  this  imposing  garb  had  already 


220  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

reached  the  stage  of  "  big  drunk,"  and  his  English, 
none  of  the  best  at  any  time,  was  now  of  a  very  un- 
certain character.  He  staggered  ui3,  as  if  to  em- 
brace me,  slapping  his  breast  with  one  hand,  and 
druling  out  "  I  General  Slam — General  Peter 
Slam  !"  I  avoided  the  intended  honor  by  stepping 
on  one  side,  the  consequence  of  which  was,  that  if  the 
General  had  not  been  caught  by  Antonio,  he  cer- 
tainly would  have  plunged  into  the  lagoon. 

I  made  a  marked  disj)lay  of  my  "  King-paper," 
and  commenced  to  read  it  to  the  General,  but  he 
motioned  me  to  put  it  up,  saying,  "  All  good  !  very 
great  good  !  I  Peter  Slam,  General !"  Meantime 
the  spectators  were  reinforced  from  the  village,  and 
drums  were  sent  for.  They  were  of  English  make, 
and  of  the  biggest.  General  Slam  then  insisted  on 
escorting  me  up  from  the  beach,  "  English  gentle- 
man fashion  !"  and  taking  my  arm  in  his  unsteady 
grasp,  he  headed  the  procession,  with  a  desperate 
attempt  at  steadiness,  but  nevertheless  swaying 
from  side  to  side,  after  the  immemorial  practice  of 
drunken  men. 

The  General  was  clearly  the  magnate  of  Sandy 
Bay,  (called  by  the  Sambos  Sanahy,)  and  when  we 
reached  the  centre  of  the  village,  where  the  feast 
was  going  on,  we  were  saluted  by  a  "  hurrah  !" 
given  "  English  fashion."  Here  I  noticed  a  big  ca- 
noe full  of  mislila,  around  which  the  drinking  and 
dancing  was  uninterrupted.  General  Slam  took  me 
at  once  to  his  own  house  or  hut,  where  the  traders 
in  whose  honor  the  feast  was  got  up,  were  quar- 


<}  E  N  E  R.  A  T,     P  R  T  E  R    SLAM. 


SCENES     AT     SANDY     BAY.  228 

tered.  I  found  there  the  captain  and  clerk,  and 
two  of  the  crew  of  the  "London  Belle,"  a  trading 
vessel  which  had  recently  arrived  at  Cape  Gracias, 
from   Jamaica.      There  was   also   an   Englishman, 

named   H ,  who   lived   at  the  Cape,  and  who 

seemed  to  hold  here  a  coiTesponding  position  with 
Mr.  Bell  in  Bluefields.  They  were  all  reclining  on 
crickeries,  or  in  hammocks,  and  aj)peared  to  be  on 
terms  of  easy  familiarity  with  a  number  of  very  sleek 
young  girls,  in  whose  laps  they  were  resting  their 
heads,  and  whose  principal  occupation,  in  the  inter- 
vals of  not  over  delicate  dalliance,  was  that  of  pass- 
ing round  glasses  of  a  kind  of  punch,  compounded  of 
Jamaica  rum,  the  juice  of  the  sugar-cane,  and  a  va- 
riety of  crushed  fruits. 

The  whole  party  was  what  is  technically  called 
"  half-seas-over,"  and  welcomed  me  with  that  large 
liberality  which  is  inseparable  from  that  condition. 
The  general  was  slapped  on  the  back,  and  told  to 
"  bring  in  more  girls,  you  bloody  rascal,  no  skulking 
now  \"  Whereupon  his  hat  was  facetiously  crushed 
down  over  his  eyes  by  each  one  of  his  guests  in 
succession,  and  he  was  kicked  out  of  the  door  by 
the  English  captain,  a  rough  brute  of  a  man,  who 
only  meant  to  be  playful. 

I  had  barely  time  to  observe  that  G-eneral  Slam's 
house  was  not  entirely  without  evidences  of  civiliza- 
tion. Upon  one  side  was  a  folding  table,  and  ship's 
sideboard,  or  locker,  both  probably  from  some 
wreck.  In  the  latter  were  a  quantity  of  tumblers, 
decanters,   plates,   and   other  articles  of  Christian 


224  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

use  ;  and  on  the  walls  hung  a  few  rude  lithographs, 
gaudily  colored.  Among  them — strange  juxtaposi- 
tion ! — was  a  picture  of  Washington, 

My  survey  was  interrupted  by  a  great  tumult 
near  the  hut,  and  a  moment  after,  half  a  dozen 
Sambos,  reeking  with  their  filthy  mishla,  staggered 
in  at  the  door,  dragging  after  them  a  full-blooded 
Indian,  quite  naked,  and  his  body  bleeding  in  sev- 
eral places,  from  blows  and  scratches  received  at 
the  hands  of  his  savage  assailants.  The  Sambos 
pushed  him  toward  the  English  captain,  ejaculating, 
"  Him  !  him  !"  while  the  Indian  himself  stood  in 
perfect  silence,  his  thin  lips  compressed,  and  his 
eyes  fixed  on  the  captain.  The  conduct  of  the 
latter  was  in  keeping  with  that  of  the  drunken 
wretches  who  had  dragged  the  Indian  to  the  hut, 
and  who,  vociferating  some  unintelligible  jargon, 
were  brandishing  their  clubs  over  his  head,  and 
occasionally  hitting  viciously  with  them  at  his  feet. 

"  That 's  the  bloody  villain,  is  it  !"  said  the 
captain,  leaping  from  his  crickery,  and  striking  the 
Indian  a  terrible  blow  in  the  face,  which  felled  him 
to  the  ground.  "  I  '11  learn  him  proper  respect  for 
the  King  !"  This  act  was  followed  by  stamping 
his  foot  heavily  on  the  fallen  and  apparently  insen- 
sible Indian. 

The  entire  proceeding  was  to  me  inexplicable  ; 
but  this  last  brutahty  roused  my  indignation.  I 
grasped  the  captain  by  the  collar  of  his  coat,  and 
hurled  him  across  the  hut.  "  Do  you  pretend  to  be 
an   Englishman,"  I   said,   "  and   yet   set   such   an 


SCENES    AT     SANDY    BAT.  225 

example  to  these  savages  ?  What  has  this  Indian 
done  ?"  "  1 11  let  you  know  what  he  has  done," 
he  shrieked,  rather  than  spoke,  in  a  wild  paroxysm 
of  rage  ;  and,  grasping  a  knife  from  the  table,  he 
drove  at  me,  with  all  his  force.  Maddened  and 
drunk  as  he  was,  I  had  only  to  step  aside  to  avoid 
the  blow.  Missing  his  mark,  he  stumbled  over  the 
fallen  Indian,  and  fell  upon  the  knife,  which  pierced 
through  and  through  his  left  arm,  just  below  the 
shoulder.  Quick  as  lightning  the  Indian  leaped 
forward,  tore  the  knife  from  the  wound,  and  in 
another  instant  would  have  driven  it  to  the  cap- 
tain's heart,  had  I  not  arrested  his  arm.  He 
glanced  up  in  my  face,  dropped  the  knife,  and 
folding  his  arms,  stood  erect  and  silent. 

The  captain's  companions,  with  the  exception  of 
Mr.  H.,  were  much  inclined  to  be  belKgerent,  but 
the  revolver  in  my  belt  inspired  them  with  a  whole- 
some discretion. 

Meantime,  the  captain's  wound  had  been  bound 
up,  and  the  Indian  had  withdrawn.  The  Sambos 
had  retreated  the  instant  I  had  interposed  against 
the  violence  of  the  trader. 

The  occasion  of  this  brutal  assault  was  simply 
this.  The  Sambos,  living  on  the  coast,  effectually 
cut  off  the  Indians  from  the  sea,  and,  availing  them- 
selves of  their  position,  and  the  advantage  of  fire- 
arms, make  exactions  of  various  kinds  from  them. 
Thus,  if  the  Indians  go  off  to  the  cays  for  turtles, 
they  require  from  them  a  certain  proportion  of  the 
shells,  which  is  called  the  "  king's  portion."  But  as 
10* 


22t)  THE     MUSQUITU     SHORE. 

the  Jamaica  traders  always  keep  the  king  ^ncl 
chiefs  in  debt  to  them,  the  shells  thus  collected  go 
directly  into  their  hands.  In  fact,  it  is  only 
through  the  means  which  they  afford,  and  often  by 
their  direct  interference,  that  the  nominal  authority 
of  the  so-called  king  is  kept  up.  It  was  alleged 
that  the  Indian  whom  the  captain  had  abused,  and 
who  was  a  very  expert  fisherman,  had  not  made 
a  fair  return  ;  and  his  want  of  "  proper  respect  for 
the  king,"  it  turned  out,  consisted  in  not  having  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  shells  to  satisfy  the  cupidity 
of  the  trader  ! 

After  this  occuiTence  at  General  Slam's  house,  I 
did  not  find  it  agreeable  to  stay  there  longer,  and, 
accordingly,  strolled  off  in  the  village.  The  festival 
had  now  become  uproarious.  Around  the  mishla 
canoe  was  a  motley  assemblage  of  men,  women,  and 
cliildren  ;  some  with  red  caps  and  frocks,  others 
strutting  about  with  half  a  shirt,  and  others  entirely 
naked.  A  number  of  men  with  j)ipes  and  drums 
kept  up  an  incessant  noise,  while  others,  with  mus- 
kets, which  they  filled  with  powder .  almost  to  the 
muzzle,  fired  occasional  volleys,  when  all  joined  in  a 
general  hurrah,  "  English  fashion." 

At  a  little  distance  was  built  uj)  a  rude  fence  of 
palm-branches  and  pine-boughs,  behind  which  there 
was  a  crowd  of  men  laughing  and  shouting  in  a 
most  convulsive  manner.  I  walked  forward,  and 
saw  that  only  males  were  admitted  behind  the 
screen  of  boughs.  Here,  in  the  midst  of  a  large 
circle  of  spectators,  were  two  men,  dressed  in  an  ex- 


SCENES    AT     SANDY     BAY.  227 

traordinaiy  manner,  and  performing  the  most  absurd 
antics.  Around  their  necks  each  had  a  sort  of 
wooden  collar,  whence  depended  a  fringe  of  palm- 
leaves,  hanging  nearly  to  their  feet. ,  Their  head- 
dresses terminated  in  a  tall,  thin  strip  of  wood, 
l^ainted  in  imitation  of  the  beak  of  a  saw-fish,  while 
their  faces  were  daubed  with  various  colors,  so  as 
completely  to  change  the  expression  of  the  features. 
In  each  hand  they  had  a  gourd  containing  pebbles, 
with  which  they  marked  time  in  their  dances. 
These  were  entirely  peculiar,  and  certainly  very 
comical.  First  they  approached  each  other,  and 
bent  down  their  tall  head-pieces  with  the  utmost 
gravity,  by  way  of  salute  ;  then  sidled  off  like  crabs, 
singing  a  couplet  which  had  both  rhythm  and 
rhyme,  but,  so  far  as  I  could  discover,  no  sense.    As 

interpreted   to   me,    afterward,    by  Mr.    H ,  it 

ran  thus  : — 

''  Shovel-nosed  shark, 

Grandmother,  grandmother ! 
Shovel-nosed  shark, 
Grandmother  /" 

When  the  performers  got  tired,  their  j)laces  were 
taken  by  others,  who  exhausted  their  ingenuity  in 
devising  grotesque  and  ludicrous  variations. 

When  evening  came, '  fires  of  pine  wood  were 
lighted  in  all  directions,  and  the  drinking  and 
dancing  went  on,  growing  noisier  and  more  outrage- 
ous as  the  night  advanced.  Many  got  dead  drunk, 
and  were  carried  off  by  the  women.  Others  quar- 
reled, but  the  women,  with  wise  foresight,  had  car- 


228 


THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 


ried  off  and  hidden  all  their  weapons,  and  thus  obliged 
them  to  settle  their  disputes  with  their  fists,  "  En- 
glish fashion."  To  me,  these  boxing  bouts  were 
exceedingly  amusing.  Instead  of  parrying  each 
others'  strokes,  they  literally  exchanged  them.  First 
one  would  deliver  his  blow,  and  then  stand  still  and 
take  that  of  his  opponent,  blow  for  blow,  until  both 
became  satisfied.  Then  they  would  take  a  drink  of 
mishla  together,  "English  fashion,"  and  become 
friends  ag;ain. 

During  the  whole  of  the  evening  I  found  myself 

closely  watched  by 
a  hideous  old  wo- 
man, who  moved 
around  among  the 
revelers  like  a 
ghoul.  Everybody 
made  way  for  her 
when  she  approach- 
ed, and  none  ven- 
tured to  speak  with 
her.  There  was 
something  almost 
fascinating  in  her 
repulsiveness.  Her 
hair  was  long  and 
matted,  and  her 
shriveled  skin  ap- 
peared to  adhere 
like  that  of  a  mummy  to  her  bones  ;  for  she  was 
emaciated  to  the  last  degree.      The   nails  of  her 


^,^k>^/%/ 


SDKIA    OF    SANDY    BAY. 


THE     SUKIA     OF     SANDY     BAY.  229 

fingers  were  long  and  black,  and  caused  lier  hands 
to  look  like  the  claws  of  some  unclean  bird.  Her 
eyes  were  bloodshot,  but  bright  and  intense,  and 
were  constantly  fixed  upon  me,  like  those  of  some 
wild  beast  on  its  prey.  "Wherever  I  moved  she  fol- 
lowed, even  behind  the  screen  concealing  the 
masked  dancers,  where  no  other  woman  was  ad- 
mitted. 

I  lingered  among  the  revelers  until  their  antics 
ceased  to  be  amusing,  and  became  simply  brutal. 
Both  sexes  finally  gave  themselves  up  to  the  gross- 
est and  most  shameless  debauchery,  such  as  I  have 
i>ever  heard  ascribed  to  the  most  bestial  of  savages. 

Disgusted  and  sickened,  I  turned  away,  and  went 
doTvn  to  the  shore,  preferring,  after  what  had  oc- 
curred at  Slam's  house,  to  sleep  in  my  boat,  to 
trusting  myself  in  the  power  of  the  wounded  trader. 
So  we  pushed  off  a  few  hundred  feet  from  the  shore, 
and  anchored  for  the  night.  I  wrapped  myself  in 
my  blanket,  and,  notwithstanding  the  noisy  revels 
in  the  village,  savage  laughter  and  angry  shouts, 
the  beating  of  drums  and  firing  of  guns,  I  was  soon 
asleep. 

It  was  ,past  midnight  ;  the  moon  had  gone  down, 
the  fires  of  the  village  were  burning  low,  and  the 
dancers,  stupified  and  exhausted,  only  broke  out  in 
occasional  spasmodic  shrieks,  when  I  was  awakened 
by  Antonio,  who  placed  his  finger  on  my  lij)s  in 
token  of  silence.  I  nevertheless  started  up  in  some- 
thing of  alarm,  for  the  image  of  the  skinny  old  hag, 
who  had   tracked  me  with  her  snaky  eyes  all  the 


230  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

evening,  had  disturbed  my  dreams.  To  my  sm-prise 
I  found  the  Indian,  whom  I  had  rescued  from  the 
drunken  violence  of  the  trader,  crouching  in  the 
bottom  of  the  boat.  He  had  already  explained  to 
Antonio,  through  the  Poyer,  that  we  were  in  great 
danger ;  that  the  old  woman  who  had  haunted  me 
was  a  powerful  Siikia,  whose  commands  were  always 
implicitly  obeyed  by  the  superstitious  Sambos.  In- 
stigated by  the  discomfited  trader,  she  had  de- 
manded our  death,  and  even  now  her  followers  were 
planning  the  means  to  accomplish  it.  Our  safety, 
he  urged,  depended  upon  our  immediate  departure, 
and  then,  as  if  relieved  of  a  burden,  he  slipped 
quietly  overboard,  and  swam  toward  the  shore. 

I  was  nothing  loth  to  leave  "Sandy  Bay,  and  we 
lost  no  time  in  getting  up  the  large  stone  which 
served  us  for  an  anchor,  and  taking  our  dejiarture. 
By  morning  we  were  clear  of  the  lagoon,  and  in  the 
channel  leading  from  it  to  Wano  Sound,  lying 
about  fifteen  miles  to  the  nortward  of  Sandy  Bay, 
and  half  that  distance  from  Cape  Gracias.  We 
reached  the  sound  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  stopped  for  breakfast  on  a  narrow .  sand-spit, 
where  a  few  trees  on  the  shore  gave  shade"  and  fuel. 
The  day  was  excessively  hot,  and  we  waited  for  the 
evening  before  pursuing  our  voyage.  During  the 
afternoon,  however,  we  were  joined  by  Mr.  H.,  who 
had  got  wind  of  the  designs  of  the  trader,  and  at- 
tempted to  warn  us,  but  found  that  we  had  gone. 
Indignant  at  his  treachery,  he  had  abandoned  the 
brutal  captain,  and  determined  to  return  to  the  Cape. 


POWER     OF     THE     SUKIAS,  231 

He  explained  to  me  that  our  danger  had  been 
greater  than  we  had  supposed.  The  old  Sukia  wo- 
man possessed  more  power  over  the  Sambos  than 
king  or  chief,  and  her  commands  were  never  disput- 
ed or  neglected.  The  grandfather  of  the  present 
king,  he  said,  had  been  killed  by  her  order,  as  had 
also  his  great  aunt  ;  and  although  the  immediate 
perpetrators  of  the  deed  had  been  executed,  yet  the 
king  had  not  dared  to  bring  the  dreaded  Sukia  to 
justice.  She  had,  however,  been  obliged  to  leave 
Cape  Gracias,  lest,  during  the  visit  of  some  English 
vessel  of  war,  she  should  be  punished  for  complicity 
in  the  murder  of  a  couple  of  Englishmen,  named 
Collins  and  Pollard,  who  had  been  slaughtered 
some  years  before,  while  turtling  on  the  cays  off  the 
coast.  Another  reason  for  her  departure  had  been 
the  advent  of  a  more  powerful  and  less  malignant 
Sukia  woman,  who,  he  assured  me,  was  gifted  with 
prophecy,  and  a  knowledge  of  things  past  and  to 
come.  He  represented  her  as  young,  living  in  a 
very  mysterious  manner,  far  up  the  Cape  River, 
among  the  mountains.  None  knew  who  she  was, 
nor  whence  she  came,  nor  had  he  seen  her  more 
than  once,  although  he  had  consulted  her  by  proxy 
on  several  occasions.  I  was  amused  at  the  gravity 
with  which  he  recounted  instances  of  her  power 
over  disease  and  her  knowledge  of  events,  and 
could  not  help  thinking,  that  he  had  resided  so 
long  on  the  coast  as  to  get  infected  with  the  super- 
stitions of  the  people.  There  was,  however,  no 
mistaking  his  earnestness,  and  I  consequently  a!)- 


232  THE     MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

stained  from  ridiculing  Ms  stories.  "  You  shall  see 
and  hear  for  yourself/'  he  added,  "and  then  you 
will  be  better  able  to  judge  if  I  am  a  child  to  be 
deceived  by  the  silly  juggles  of  an  Indian  woman. 
These  people  have  inherited  from  their  ancestors 
many  mj^sterious  and  wonderful  powers  ;  and  even 
the  inferior  order  of  Sukias  can  defy  the  poison  of 
snakes,  and  the  effects  of  fire.  Flames  and  the 
bullets  of  guns  are  impotent  against  them," 

I  found  H.  a  man  of  no  inconsiderable  intelli- 
gence, and  he  gave  me  much  information  about  the 
coast  and  its  inhabitants,  and,  altogether,  before 
embarking  we  had  become  fast  friends,  and  I  had 
accepted  an  invitation  to  make  his  house  my  home 
during  my  stay  at  the  Cape, 

I  have  several  times  alluded  to  the  filthy  mislila 
drink,  which  is  the  universal  appliance  of  the  Sam- 
bos for  getting  up  the  "  big  drunk."  I  never 
witnessed  the  disgusting  process  of  its  preparation, 
but  it  has  been  graphically  described  by  Roberts, 
who  was  a  trader  on  the  coast,  and  who,  twenty 
years  before,  had  been  a  witness  of  the  "  rise  and 
progress"  of  a  grand  debauch  at  Sandy  Bay. 

"  Preparations  were  going  on  for  a  grand  feast 
and  mislila  drink.  For  this  purpose  the  whole 
population  was  employed — most  of  them  being  en- 
gaged in  collecting  pine-ajDples,  plantains,  and  cas- 
sava for  their  favorite  liquor.  The  expressed  juice 
of  the  pine-apple  alone  is  a  pleasant  and  agreeable 
beverage.  The  mislila  from  the  plantain  and  ba- 
nana, is  also  both   pleasant   and   nutritive  ;    that 


MISHLA     DHINK.  233 

from  the  cassava  and  maize  is  more  intoxicating, 
but  its  preparation  is  a  process  exceedingly  disgust- 
ing. The  root  of  the  cassava,  after  being  peeled 
and  mashedj  is  boiled  to  the  same  consistence  as 
when  it  is  used  for  food.  It  is  then  taken  from  the 
fire,  and  allowed  to  cool.  The  pots  are  now  sur- 
rounded by  all  the  women,  old  and  young,  who, 
being  provided  with  large  calabashes,  commence  an 
attack  upon  the  cassava,  which  they  chew  to  the 
consistence  of  a  thick  paste,  and  then  put  their 
mouthsful  into  the  bowls,  until  the  latter  are 
filled.  These  are  then  emptied  into  a  canoe  which 
is  drawn  up  for  the  purpose,  until  it  is  about  one 
third  filled.  Other  cassava  is  then  taken,  bruised 
in  a  kind  of  wooden  mortar,  until  it  is  reduced  to 
the  consistence  of  dough,  when  it  is  diluted  with 
cold  water,  to  which  is  added  a  quantity  of  Indian 
corn,  partly  boiled  and  masticated,  and  then  all  is 
poured  into  the  canoe,  which  is  filled  with  water, 
and  the  mixture  afterward  frequently  stirred  vsdth 
a  paddle.  In  the  course  of  a  few  hours  it  reaches  a 
high  and  abominable  state  of  fermentation.  The 
liquor,  it  may  be  observed,  is  more  or  less  esteemed, 
according  to  the  health,  age,  and  constitution  of 
the  masticators.  And  when  the  chiefs  give  a  pri- 
vate mislila  drink,  they  confine  the  mastication  to 
their  own  wives  and  young  girls." 

After  fermentation,  the  mishla  has  a  cream-like 
appearance,  and  is  to  the  highest  degree  intoxicat- 
ing. The  drinking  never  ceases,  so  long  as  a  drop 
can  be  squeezed  from  the  festering  dregs  that  re- 
main, after  the  liquid  is  exhausted. 


APE   GRACIAS   A   DIOS,  was  so 

„  called  by  Columbus,  when,  after  a 
J  weaiy  voyage,  be  gave  "  Thanks  to 
God"  for  tbe  bappy  discovery  of 
this,  the  extreme  north-eastern  angle  of  Central 
America.  Here  tbe  great  Cape,  or  Wanks  River, 
finds  its  way  into  the  sea,  forming  a  large,  but 
shallow  harbor.  It  was  a  favorite  resort  of  the  buc- 
caneers, in  the  olden  time,  when  the  Spanish  Main 
was  associated  with  vague  notions  of  exhaustless 
wealth,  tales  of  heavy  galloons,  laden  with  gold, 
and  the  wild  adventures  of  Drake,  and  Morgan,  and 
Llonois.  Here,  too,  long  ago,  was  wrecked  a  large 
slaver,  destined  for  Cuba,  and  crowded  with  ne- 
groes. They  escaped  to  the  shore,  mixed  with  the 
natives,  and,  with  subsequent  additions  -to  their 
numbers  from  Jamaica,  and  from  the  interior,  orig- 
inated the  people  known  as  the  "Mosquito  In- 
dians." Supported  by  the  pirates,  and  by  the 
governors  of  Jamaica,  as  a  means  of  annoyance  to 


CAPE     GRACIAS.  236 

the  Spaniards,  they  gradually  extended  southward 
as  far  as  Bluefields,  and  at  one  time  carried  on  a 
war  against  the  Indians,  whom  they  had  displaced, 
for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  prisoners,  to  be  sold  in 
the  islands  as  slaves. 

But  with  the  suppression  of  this  traffic,  and  in 
consequence  of  the  encroachments  of  the  semi- 
civilized  Caribs  on  the  north,  their  settlement  at 
the  Cape  has  gradually  decKned,  until  now  it  does 
not  contain  more  than  two  hundred  inhabitants. 
The  village  is  situated  on  the  south-western  side  of 
the  bay  or  harbor,  not  far  from  its  entrance,  on  the 
edge  of  an  extensive,  sandy  savannah. 

Between  the  shore  and  the  village  is  a  belt  of 
thick  bush,  three  or  four  hundred  yards  broad, 
through  which  are  numerous  narrow  paths,  difficult 
to  pass,  since  the  natives  are  too  lazy  to  cut  away 
the  undergrowth  and  branches  which  obstruct  them. 
The  village  itself  is  mean,  dirty,  and  infested  with 
hungry  pigs,  and  snarling,  mangy  dogs.  The  huts 
are  of  the  rudest  description,  and  most  of  them  un- 
fitted for  shelter  against  the  rain.  The  only  houses 
which  had  any  pretensions  to  comfort,  at  the  time  of 
my  visit,  were  the  "  King's  house,"  another  belonging 
to  a  German  named  Boucher,  and  that  of  my  new 
friend  H.  The  latter  was  boarded  and  shingled,  and 
looked  quite  a  palace  after  my  experience  of  the  pre- 
ceding two  months,  in  Mosquito  architecture.  Mr. 
H.  made  us  very  comfortable  indeed.  In  addition 
to  the  numerous  native  products  of  the  country,  he 
had   a   hberal   supply  of  foreign  luxuries.      As  a 


23(5  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

trader  he  had,  for  many  years,  carried  on  quite  a 
traffic  with  the  Wanks  River  Indians,  in  deer  skins, 
sarsaparilla,  and  mahogany,  and  with  the  Sambos 
themselves  in  turtle-shells.  And  whatever  nominal 
authority  may  have  existed  previously  at  the  Cape, 
it  was  obvious  enough  that  he  was  now  the  de  facto 
governor. 

Thoroughly  domesticated  in  the  country,  he  had 
no  ambitions  beyond  it,  and  had  made  several, 
although  not  very  successful,  attempts  to  introduce 
industry,  and  imjjrove  the  condition  of  the  natives. 
At  one  time  he  had  had  a  number  of  cattle  on  the 
savannah — which,  although  its  soil  is  too  poor  for 
cultivation,  nevertheless  affords  abundance  of  good 
grass — but  the  Sambos  killed  so  many  for  their 
own  use,  that  he  sold  the  remainder  to  the  trading 
vessels.  He  had  now  undertaken  their  introduction 
again,  with  better  success,  and  had,  moreover,  some 
mules  and  horses.  The  latter  were  sorry-looking 
beasts  ;  since,  for  want  of  proper  care,  the  wood- 
ticks  had  got  in  their  ears,  and  caused  them  not 
only  to  lop  down,  but  also,  in  some  instances,  en- 
tirely to  drop  off. 

The  Sambos  have  a  singular  custom,  unfavorable, 
certainly,  to  the  raising  of  cattle,  which  Mr.  H.  had 
not  yet  entirely  succeeded  in  suppressing.  When- 
ever a  native  is  proved  guilty  of  adultery,  the  in- 
jured party  immediately  goes  out  in  the  savannah 
and  shoots  a  beeve,  without  regard  to  its  ownership. 
The  duty  of  paying  for  it  then  devolves  upon  the 
adulterer,  and  constitutes  the  penalty  for  his  offence  ! 


NEW     WAY     OF     HUNTING, 


237 


Nearly  all  tlie  Sambos  at  the  Cape  speak  a  little 
English,  and  I  never  passed  their  huts  without 
being  saluted  "  Mornin',  sir  ;  give  me  grog  \"  In 
fact  their  devotion  to  grog,  and  general  improvi- 
dent habits,  are  fast  thinning  their  numbers,  and 
will  soon  work  their  utter  extermination.  Although 
there  are  several  places  near  the  settlement  where 
all  needful  supphes  might  be  raised,  yet  they  are 
chiefly  dependent  on  the  Indians  of  the  river  for 
their  vegetables. 

There  is  little  game  on  the  savannah,  but  on  the 
strip  of  land  which  separates  the  harbor  from  the 
sea,  and  which  is  called  the  island  of  San  Pio,  deer 
are  found  in  abundance.     This  island  is  curiously 


HUNTING    DEER. 


diversified  with  alternate  patches  of  savannah,  bush, 
and  marsh,  and  offers  numerous  coverts  for  wild 
animals.  The  deer,  however,  are  only  hunted  by 
the  few  whites  who  live  at  the  Cape,  and  they  have 
hit  upon  an  easy  and  novel  mode  of  procuring 
their  supply.  The  deer  are  not  shy  of  cattle,  and 
will  feed  side  by  side  with  them  in  the  savannahs. 
So  Mr.  H.  had  trained  a  favorite  cow  to  obey  reins 


238  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

of  cord  attached  to  her  horns,  as  a  horse  does  his 
bit.  Starting  out,  and  keeping  the  cow  constantly 
between  himself  and  the  deer,  he  never  has 
the  slightest  difficulty  in  approaching  so  close 
to  them  as  to  shoot  them  with  a  pistol.  If  there 
are  more  than  one,  the  rest  do  not  start  off  at  the 
discharge,  but  only  prick  up  their  ears  in  amaze- 
ment, and  thus  afford  an  ojjportunity  for  another 
shot,  if  desired.  I  witnessed  this  labor-saving  mode 
of  hunting  several  times,  and  found  that  H.  and  his 
cow  never  failed  of  their  object. 

While  upon  the  subject  of  game,  I  may  mention 
that  San  Pio  abounds  with  birds  and  water-fowl. 
Among  them  are  two  varieties  of  snipe,  beside 
innumerable  curlews,  ducks,  and  teal.  The  blue 
and  green-winged  teal  were  great  favorites  of  mine, 
being  always  in  good  condition.  They  were  not 
obtained,  however,  without  the  drawback  of  expo- 
sure to  the  sandflies,  which  infest  the  island  in 
uncountable  millions.  The  European  residents 
always  have  a  supply  of  turtles,  which  are  pur- 
chased at  prices  of  from  four  to  eight  yards  of 
Osnaberg,  equal  to  from  one  to  two  dollars,  accord- 
ing to  their  size.  Two  kinds  of  oysters  are  also 
obtained  here,  one  called  the  "  bank  oyster,"  corres- 
ponding with  those  which  I  obtained  in  Pearl  Cay 
Lagoon,  -and  the  little  mangrove  oysters.  The 
latter  are  about  the  size  of  half  a  dollar,  and  attach 
themselves  to  the  roots  of  the  mangrove-trees.  It 
is  a  question  whether  a  hungry  man,  having  to 
open  them  for   himself,  might   not   starve   before 


A    WITCH     IN     EBONY,  239 

getting  satisfied.  A  few  hundreds,  with  a  couple 
of  Indians  to  open  them,  make  a  good,  but  mode- 
rate, hinch  ! 

The  bay  and  river  swarm  with  fish,  of  the  varie- 
ties which  I  have  enumerated  as  common  on  the 
coast.  During  still  weather  they  are  caught  with 
seines,  in  large  quantities.  These  seines  belong  to 
the  foreigners,  but  are  drawn  by  the  natives  (when 
they  happen  to  be  hungry  !),  who  receive  half  of 
the  spoil. 

Mr.  H.  was  not  a  little  piqued  at  my  incredulity 
in  the  Suhias,  and,  faithful  to  his  promise,  per- 
suaded one  of  them  to  give  us  an  example  of  her 
powers.  The  place  was  the  enclosure  in  the  rear 
of  his  own  house,  and  the  time  evening.  The 
Sukia  made  her  appearance  alone,  carrying  a  long 
thick  wand  of  bamboo,  and  with  no  dress  except 
the  ule  tournou.  She  was  only  inferior  to  her  sister 
at  Sandy  Bay,  in  ugliness,  and  stalked  into  the 
house  like  a  spectre,  without  uttering  a  word.  H. 
cut  off  a  piece  of  calico,  and  handed  .it  to  her  as  her 
recomj)ense.  She  received  it  in  perfect  silence, 
walked  into  the  yard,  and  folded  it  carefully  on  the 
ground.  Meanwhile  a  fire  had  been  kindled  of  pine 
splints  and  branches,  which  was  now  blazing  high. 
Without  any  hesitation  the  Sukia  walked  up  to  it, 
and  stepped  in  its  very  centre.  The  flames  darted 
their  forked  tongues  as  high  as  her  waist  ;  the  coals 
beneath  and  around  her  naked  feet  blackened,  and 
seemed  to  expire  ;  while  the  tournou  which  she 
wore  about  her  loins,  cracked  and  shriveled  with 


240  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

the  lieat.  There  she  stood,  immovable,  and  appa- 
rently as  insensible  as  a  statue  of  iron,  until  the 
blaze  subsided,  when  she  commenced  to  walk 
around  the  smouldering  embers,  muttering  rapidly 
to  herself,  in  an  unintelligible  manner.  Suddenly 
she  stopped,  and  placing  her  foot  on  the  bamboo 
staff,  broke  it  in  the  middle,  shaking  out,  from  the 
section  in  her  hand,  a  full-grown  tamagasa  snake, 
which,  on  the  instant  coiled  itself  up,  flattened  its 
head,  and  darted  out  its  tongue,  in  an  attitude  of 
defiance  and  attack.  The  Suhia  extended  her 
hand,  and  it  fastened  on  her  wrist  with  the  quick- 
ness of  light,  where  it  hung,  dangling  and  writhing  its 
body  in  knots  and  coUs,  wliile  she  resumed  her  mum- 
bling march  around  the  embers.  After  a  while,  and 
with  the  same  abruptness  which  had  marked  all  of 
her  previous  movements,  she  shook  off  the  serpent, 
crushed  its  head  in  the  ground  with  her  heel,  and 
taking  up  the  cloth  which  had  been  given  to  her, 
stalked  away,  without  having  exchanged  a  word 
with  any  one  present. 

Mr.  H.  gave  me  a  triumjihant  look,  and  asked 
what  now  I  had  to  say.  "  "Was  there  any  deception 
in  what  I  had  seen  ?"  I  only  succeeded  in  con- 
vincing him  that  I  was  a  perversely  obstinate  man, 
by  suggesting  that  the  Suhia  was  probably  ac- 
quainted with  some  antidote  for  the  venom  of  the 
serpent,  and  that  her  endurance  of  the  fire  was 
nothing  more  remarkable  than  that  of  the  jugglers, 
"  fire  kings,"  and  other  vagrants  at  home,  who 
make  no  pretence  of  supernatural  powers. 


MYSTERIES.  241 

"  Well,"  he  continued,  in  a  tone  of  irritated  dis- 
appointment, "  can  your  jugglers  and  '  fire  kings' 
tell  the  past,  and  predict  the  future  ?  When  you 
have  your  inmost  thoughts  revealed  to  you,  and 
when  the  spnits  of  your  dead  friends  recall  to  your 
memory  scenes  and  incidents  known  only  to  them, 
yourself,  and  God — tell  me,"  and  his  voice  grew 
deep  and  earnest,  "  on  what  hypothesis  do  you  ac- 
count for  things  like  these  ?  Yet  I  can  testify  to 
their  truth.  You  may  laugh  at  what  you  call  the 
vulgar  trickery  of  the  old  hag  who  has  just  left  us, 
but  I  can  take  you  where  even  your  scoffing  tongue 
will  cleave  to  its  roof  with  awe  ;  where  the  inmost 
secrets  of  your  heart  shall  be  unvailed,  and  where 
you  shall  fed  that  you  stand  face  to  face  with  the 
invisible  dead  !" 

I  have  never  felt  it  in  my  heart  to  ridicule  opin- 
ions, however  absurd,  if  sincerely  entertained  ;  and 
there  was  that  in  the  awed  manner  of  my  host 
which  convinced  me  that  he  was  in  earnest  in  what 
he  said.  So  I  dropped  the  conversation,  on  his  as- 
surance that  he  would  accompany  me  to  visit  the 
strange  woman  to  whom  he  assigned  such  mysteri- 
ous power. 

Antonio  had  been  an  attentive  witness  of  the 
tricks  of  the  Sukia,  and  expressed  to  me  the  great- 
est contempt  for  her  pretensions.  Such  exhibitions, 
he  said,  were  only  fit  for  idle  children,  and  were  not 
to  be  confounded  with  the  awful  powers  of  the 
oracles,  through  whom  the  "  Lord  of  Teaching  and 
the   spirits   of   the    Holy   Men"   held   communion 

11 


242  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

with  mortals.  I  spoke  to  him  of  the  mysterious 
woman,  who  was  greater  than  all  the  Sukias,  and 
lived  among  the  mountains.  "  She  is  of  our  peo- 
ple," he  exclaimed,  warmly,  "and  her  name  is 
Hoxom-Bal,  which  means  the  Mother  of  the  Tigers. 
It  was  to  seek  her  that  I  left  the  Holy  City  of  the 
Itzaes,  with  no  guide  but  my  Lord  who  never  lies. 
And  now  her  soul  shall  enter  into  our  brothers  of 
the  mountains,  and  they  shall  be  tigers  on  the 
tracks  of  our  oppressors  \" 

The  form  of  the  Indian  boy  had  dilated  as  he 
spoke  ;  his  smooth  limbs  were  knotted  by  the  swell- 
ing muscles  ;  his  eyes  burned,  and  his  low  voice  be- 
came firm,  distinct,  and  ominous.  But  it  was  only 
for  an  instant  ;  and  while  I  listened  to  hear  the 
great  secret  which  swelled  in  his  bosom,  he  stopped 
short,  and,  turning  suddenly,  walked  away.  But  I 
could  see  that  he  pressed  his  talisman  closer  to  his 
breast. 

The  Sukias  of  the  coast  are  usually  women,  al- 
though their  powers  and  authority  are  sometimes 
assumed  by  men.  Their  preparation  for  the  office 
involves  mortifications  as  rigorous  as  the  Church 
ever  required  of  her  most  abject  devotees.  For 
months  do  the  candidates  seclude  themselves  in  the 
forests,  avoiding  the  face  of  their  fellows,  and  there, 
without  arms  or  means  of  defense,  contend  with 
hunger,  the  elements,  and  wild  beasts.  It  is  thus 
that  they  seal  their  compact  with  the  mysterious 
powers  which  rule  over  earth  and  water,  air  and 
fire  ;  and  they  return  to  the  villages  of  their  peo- 


MOSQUITO     HABITS.  243 

pie,  invested  with  all  the  terrors  which  superstition 
has  ever  attached  to  those  who  seem  to  be  exempt 
from  the  operations  of  natural  laws. 

These  Sukias  are  the  "medicine-men"  of  the 
coast,  and  affect  to  cure  disease  ;  but  their  direc- 
tions are  usually  more  extravagant  than  beneficial. 
They  sometimes  order  the  victim  of  fever  to  go  to 
an  open  sand-beach  by  the  sea,  and  there,  exposed' 
to  the  burning  heat  of  the  vertical  sun,  await  his 
cure.  They  have  also  a  savage  taste  for  blood,  and 
the  cutting  and  scarification  of  the  body  are 
among  their  favorite  remedies. 

The  Mosquitos,  I  may  observe  here,  have  no  idea 
of  a  supreme  beneficent  Being  ;  but  stand  in  great 
awe  of  an  evil  spirit  which  they  call  Wulasha,  and 
of  a  water-ghost,  called  Leivire.  Wulasha  is  sup- 
posed to  share  in  all  the  rewards  which  the  Sukias 
obtain  for  their  services.  His  half  of  the  stipulated 
price,  however,  is  shrewdly  exacted  beforehand, 
while  the  payment  of  the  remainder  depends  very 
much  upon  the  Sukia's  success. 

Among  the  customs  universal  on  the  coast,  is  in- 
fanticide, in  all  cases  where  the  child  is  born  with 
any  physical  defect.  As  a  consequence,  natural  de- 
formity of  person  is  unknown.  Chastity,  as  I  have 
several  times  had  occasion  to  intimate,  is  not  con- 
sidered a  virtue  ;  and  the  number  of  a  man's  wives  is 
only  determined  by  circumstances,  polygamy  being 
universal.  Physically,  the  Mosquitos  have  a  large 
predominance  of  negro  blood  ;  and  their  habits  and 
superstitions   are   African   rather    than   American. 


244  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

They  are  largely  affected  with  syphilitic  affections, 
resulting  from  their  unrestrained  licentious  inter- 
course with  the  pirates  in  remote,  and  with  traders 
(in  character  but  one  degree  removed  from  the  pi- 
rates) in  later  times.  These  affections,  under  the 
form  of  the  hulpis,  red,  white,  and  scabbed,  have 
come  to  be  a  radical  taint,  running  through  the 
entire  population,  and  so  impairing  the  general 
constitution  as  to  render  it  fatally  susceptible  to  all 
epidemic  diseases.  This  is  one  of  the  powerful 
causes  which  is  contributing  to  the  rapid  decrease, 
and  which  will  soon  result  in  the  total  extinction  of 
the  Sambos. 

Their  arts  are  limited  to  the  very  narrow  range 
of  their  wants,  and  are  exceedingly  rude.  The 
greatest  skill  is  displayed  in  their  dories,  canoes, 
and  pitpans,  which  are  brought  down  by  the  In- 
dians of  the  interior,  rudely  blocked  out,  so  as  to 
give  the  purchaser  an  opportunity  of  exercising  his 
taste  in  the  finish.  Essentially  fishers,  they  are  at 
home  in  the  water,  and  manage  their  boats  with 
great  dexterity.  Their  language  has  some  slight 
affinity  with  the  Carib,  but  has  degenerated  into  a 
sort  of  jargon,  in  which  Indian,  English,  Spanish, 
and  Jamaica-African  are  strangely  jumbled.  They 
count  by  twenties,  i.  e.,  collective  fingers  and  toes, 
and  make  fearful  work  of  it  when  they  "  get  up  in 
the  figures."  Thus,  to  express  thirty-seven,  they  say, 
"  Iwanaiska  -  htmii-pura  -  matcnvalsip  -pura-matlal- 
Icahe-pura-kumi,"  which  literally  means,  one-twenty- 
and- ten -and -six -and -one,  i.  e.,  20+1+10  +  6  +  1. 


MOSQUITO     C  H  A  K  A  0  T  K  K  .  245 

They  reckon  their  days  by  sleeps,  their  months  by 
moons,  and  their  years  by  the  complement  of  thir- 
teen moons. 

Altogether,  the  Mosquitos  have  little  in  their 
character  to  commend.  Their  besetting  vice  is 
drunkenness,  which  has  obliterated  all  of  their  bet- 
ter traits.  Without  religion,  with  no  idea  of  gov- 
ernment, they  are  capricious,  indolent,  improvident, 
treacherous,  and  given  to  thieving.  All  attempts 
to  advance  their  condition  have  been  melancholy 
failures,  and  it  is  probable  they  would  have  disap- 
peared from  the  earth  without  remark,  had  it  not 
suited  the  purposes  of  the  English  government  to 
put  them  forward  as  a  mask  to  that  encroaching 
policy  which  is  its  always  disclaimed,  but  insepar- 
able and  notorious  characteristic. 

There  is  a  suburb  of  the  village  at  the  Cape, 
near  the  river,  which  is  called  Pullen-town.  Here 
I  was  witness  of  a  curious  ceremony,  a  Seekroe  or 
Festival  of  the  Dead.  This  festival  occurs  on  the 
first  anniversary  of  the  death  of  any  important 
member  of  a  family,  and  is  only  participated  in  by 
the  relatives  and  friends  of  the  deceased.  The 
prime  element,  as  in  every  feast,  is  the  cliiclia,  of 
which  all  hands  drink  profusely.  Both  males  and 
females  were  dressed  in  a  species  of  cloak,  of  ule 
bark,  fantastically  painted  with  black  and  white, 
while  their  ftices  were  correspondingly  streaked 
with  red  and  5'ellow  (cinotto).  The  music  was  made 
by  two  big  droning  pipes,  played  to  a  low,  monoton- 
ous vocal  accompaniment.     The  dance  consisted  in 


246  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

slowly  stalking  in  a  circle,  for  a  certain  length  of 
time,  when  the  immediate  relatives  of  the  dead 
threw  themselves  flat  on  their  faces  on  the  ground, 
calling  loudly  on  the  departed,  and  tearing  up  the 
earth  with  their  hands.  Then,  rising,  they  re- 
sumed their  march,  only  to  repeat  their  prostrations 
and  cries.  I  could  obtain  no  satisfactory  exjDlana- 
tion  of  the  practice.  "  So  did  our  ancestors,"  was 
the  only  reason  assigned  for  its  continuance. 

We  had  been  at  the  Cape  about  a  week,  when 
Mr.  H.  received  information  that  the  news  of  our 
affair  at  Quamwatla  had  reached  Sandy  Bay,  and 
that  the  vindictive  trader  had  dispatched  a  fast- 
sailing  dory  by  sea  to  Bluefields,  to  obtain  orders 
for  our  "  arrest  and  punishment."  This  news  was 
brought  in  the  night,  by  the  same  Indian  whom  I 
had  protected  from  the  trader's  brutality,  and  who 
took  this  means  of  evincing  his  gratitude.  I  had 
already  frankly  explained  to  Mr.  H.  the  circum- 
stances of  our  fight,  which,  he  conceded,  fully  justi- 
fied all  we  had  done.  Still,  as  the  trader  might 
make  it  a  pretext  for  much  annoyance,  he  ajDproved 
the  plan  which  I  had  already  formed,  for  other  rea- 
sons, to  explore  the  Wanks  Kiver,  and  accompany 
my  Poyer  boy  to  the  fastnesses  of  his  tribe,  in  the 
untracked  wilderness  lying  between  that  river  and 
the  Bay  of  Honduras.  By  taking  this  course,  I 
would  be  able  again  to  reach  the  sea  beyond  the 
Sambo  jurisdiction,  in  the  district  occupied  by  the 
Caribs,  not  far  from  the  old  Spanish  port  of  Trux- 
illo.     Furthermore,  the  tame  scenery  of  the  lagoons 


THE     RIVER     WANKS.  247 

had  become  unattractive,  and  I  longed  for  moun- 
tains and  the  noise  of  rushing  waters.  The  famous 
Sukia  woman  also  lived  on  one  of  the  lower 
branches  of  the  river,  and  in  accordance  with  this 
plan  we  could  visit  her  without  going  greatly  out 
of  our  way. 

In  fulfillment  of  his  promise,  Mr.  H.  prepared  to 
accompany  us  as  far  as  the  retreat  of  the  mysterious 
seeress,  and  two  days  afterward,  following  the  lead 
of  his  pitpan,  we  embarked.  The  harbor  connects 
with  the  river  by  a  creek  at  its  northern  extremity, 
which  is  deep  enough  to  admit  the  passage  of 
canoes.  Emerging  from  this,  we  came  into  the 
great  Wanks  River,  a  broad  and  noble  stream,  w^th 
a  very  slight  current  at  its  low  stages,  but  pouring 
forth  a  heavy  flood  of  waters  during  the  rainy  sea- 
son. It  has  ample  capacity  for  navigation  for 
nearly  a  hundred  miles  of  its  length,  but  a  bad  and 
variable  bar  at  its  mouth  presents  an  insurmount- 
able barrier  to  the  entrance  of  vessels.  Very  little 
is  known  of  this  river,  except  that  it  rises  within 
thirty  or  forty  miles  of  the  Pacific,  and  that,  for 
the  upper  half  of  its  course,  it  flows  among  high 
mountains,  and  is  obstructed  by  falls  and  shallows. 

We  made  rapid  progress  during  the  day,  the 
river  more  resembling  an  estuary  than  a  running 
stream.  The  banks,  for  a  hundred  yards  or  more 
back  from  the  water,  were  thickly  lined  with  bush  ; 
but  beyond  this  belt  of  jungle  there  was  an  unin- 
terrupted succession  of  sandy  savannahs.  There 
were  no  signs  of  inhabitants,  except  a  few  huts,  at 


248  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

long  intervals,  at  places  where  the  soil  happened  to 
he  rich  enough  to  admit  of  cultivation.  We  never- 
theless met  a  few  Indians  coming  down  with  canoes, 
to  be  sold  at  the  Cape,  who  regarded  us  curiously, 
and  in  silence. 

Near  evening,  we  encamped  at  a  point  where  a 
ridge  of  the  savannah,  penetrating  the  bush,  came 
down  boldly  to  the  river,  forming  an  eddy,  or  cove, 
which  seemed  specially  intended  for  a  halting-place 
Mr.  H.  had  named  the  bluif  "  Iguana  Point,"  from 
the  great  number  of  iguanas  found  there.  They 
abound  on  the  higher  parts  of  the  entire  coast,  but 
I  had  seen  none  so  large  as  those  found  at  this 
place.  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  uglier  reptiles — 
great,  overgrown,  corrugated  lizards  as  they  are, 
with  their  bloated  throats,  and  snaky  eyes  !  They 
seemed  to  think  us  insolent  intruders,  and  waddled 
off  with  ajsparent  sullen  reluctance,  when  we 
approached.  But  the  law  of  compensations  holds 
good  in  respect  to  the  iguanas,  as  in  regard  to 
every  thing  else.  If  they  are  the  ugliest  reptiles  in 
the  world,  they  are,  at  the  same  time,  among  the 
best  to  eat.  So  our  men  slaughtered  three  or  four 
of  the  largest,  selecting  those  which  aj)peared  to  be 
fullest  of  eggs.  Up  to  this  time  I  had  not  been 
able  to  overcome  my  repugnance  sufficiently  to 
taste  them  ;  but  now,  encouraged  by  H.,  I  made 
the  attempt.  The  first  few  mouthfuls  went  much 
against  the  grain  ;  but  I  found  the  flesh  really  so 
delicate,  that  before  the  meal  was  finished,  I  suc- 
ceeded in  forgetting  my  prejudices.     The  eggs  are 


IGUANA     POINT.  249 

especially  delicious,  surpassing  even  those  of  the 
turtle.  It  may  be  said,  to  the  credit  of  the  ugly 
iguana,  that  in  respect  of  his  own  food,  he  is  as 
delicate  as  the  humming-bird,  or  the  squirrel,  living 
chiefly  upon  flowers  and  blossoms  of  trees.  He  is 
frequently  to  be  seen  on  the  branches  of  large 
trees,  overhanging  the  water,  whence  he  looks  down 
with  curious  gravity  upon  the  passing  voyager. 
His  principal  enemies  are  serpents,  who,  however, 
frequently  get  worsted  in  their  attacks,  for  the 
iguana  has  sharp  teeth,  and  powerful  jaws.  Of  the 
smaller  varieties,  there  are  some  of  the  liveliest 
green.  Hundreds  of  these  may  be  seen  on  the 
snags  and  fallen  trunks  that  line  the  shores  of  the 
rivers.  They  will  watch  the  canoe  as  it  approaches, 
then  suddenly  dart  off  to  the  shore,  literally  walking 
the  water,  so  rapidly  that  they  almost  appear  like  a 
green  arrow  skipping  past.  They  are  called,  in  the 
language  of  the  natives,  by  the  generic  name,  kaJca- 
muJc. 

In  strolling  a  little  distance  from  our  camp, 
before  supper,  I  saw  a  waddling  animal,  which  I 
at  first  took  for  an  iguana.  A  moment  after,  I  per- 
ceived my  mistake.  It  appeared  to  be  doing  its 
best  to  run  away,  but  so  clumsily  that,  instead  of 
shooting  it,  I  hurried  forward,  and  headed  off  its 
course.  In  attempting  to  pass  me,  it  came  so  near 
that  I  stopped  it  with  my  foot.  In  an  instant  it 
literally  rolled  itself  up  in  a  ball,  looking  for  all  the 
world  like  a  large  sea-shell,  or  rather  like  one  of 
those    curious,   cheese-like,    coralline    productions, 

11* 


250  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

knoTvn  among  sailors  as  sea-eggs.  I  then  saw  it 
was  an  armadillo,  that  little  mailed  adventurer  of 
the  forest,  who,  like  the  opossum,  shams  death 
when  "  cornered,"  or  driven  in  "  a  tight  place."  I 
rolled  him  over,  and  grasping  him  by  his  stumpy- 
tail,  carried  him  into  camp.  He  proved  to  be  of 
the  variety  known  as  the  "  three-banded  armadillo," 
cream-colored,  and  covered  with  hexagonal  scales. 
I  afterward  saw  several  other  larger  varieties,  with 
eight  and  nine  bands.  The  flesh  of  the  armadillo 
is  white,  juicy,  and  tender,  and  is  esteemed  one  of 
the  greatest  of  luxr.ries. 


r  noon,  on  the  second  day  of  our  de- 
parture from  Cape  Gracias,  we  came 
\r^  ;  to  a  considerable  stream,  named 
Bocay,  which  enters  the  river  Wanks 
from  the  south-west.  It  was  on  the  hanks  of  this 
river,  some  ten  or  fifteen  miles  above  its  mouth, 
that  the  famed  Suhia  woman  resided.  We  direct- 
ed our  boats  up  the  stream,  the  water  of  which  was 
clear,  and  flowed  with  a  rapid  current.  We  were 
not  long  in  passing  through  the  belt  of  savannah 
which  flanks  the  Cape  River,  on  both  sides,  for  fifty 
miles  above  its  mouth.  Beyond  this  came  dense 
primitive  forests  of  gigantic  trees,  among  which  the 
mahogany  was  conspicuous.  The  banks,  too,  be- 
came high  and  firm,  occasionally  presenting  rocky 
promontories,  around  which  the  water  swejit  in  dark 
eddies.  Altogether,  it  was  evident  that  we  had  en- 
tered the  mountain  region  of  the  continent,   and 


252  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

were  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  great  dependent 
ranges  of  the  primitive  chain  of  the  Cordilleras. 

In  places,  the  river  was  compressed  among 
high  hills,  with  scarped,  rocky  faces,  where  the 
current  was  rapid  and  powerful,  and  only  over- 
come by  vigorous  efforts  at  the  paddles.  These 
were  succeeded  by  beautiful  intervals  of  level 
ground,  inviting  localities  for  the  establishments  of 
man.  We  passed  two  or  three  sweet  and  sheltered 
nooks,  in  which  were  small  clearings,  and  th-e  pic- 
turesque huts  of  the  Indians.  Excepting  an  occa- 
sional palm-tree,  or  isolated  cluster  of  plantains, 
clinging  to  the  shore  where  their  germs  had  been 
lodged  by  the  water,  there  was  nothing  tropical 
in  the  aspect  of  nature,  unless,  perhaps,  the  great- 
er size  of  the  forest-trees,  and  the  variety  of  para- 
sitic plants  which  they  supported. 

Our  progress  against  the  current  was  compara- 
tively slow  and  laborious,  and  it  was  late  in  the 
evening  when  the  glittering  of  fires  on  the  bank, 
and  the  barking  of  dogs,  announced  to  us  the  prox- 
imity of  the  Indian  village  of  Bocay,  to  which  we 
were  bound.  We  reached  it  in  due  time,  and  were 
received  quite  ceremoniously  by  the  old  men  of  the 
place,  who  seemed  to  be  perfectly  aware  of  our  com- 
ing. This  struck  me  at  the  time  as  due  to  the  fore- 
sight of  Mr.  H.,  but  I  afterward  learned  that  he 
had  given  the  Indians  no  intimation  of  our  pro- 
posed visit. 

A  vacant  hut  was  assigned  to  us,  and  we  com- 
menced to  arrange  our  hammocks  and  prepare  our 


THE     MESSENGER.  253 

supper.  Our  meal  was  scarcely  finished,  when  there 
was  a  sudden  movement  among  the  Indians,  who 
clustered  like  bees  around  our  door,  and  a  passage 
for  some  one  approaching  was  rapidly  opened.  A 
moment  afterward,  an  old  woman  came  forward, 
and,  stopping  in  the  low  doorway,  regarded  us  in 
silence.  In  bearing  and  dress  she  differed  much 
from  the  rest  of  the  people.  Around  her  forehead 
she  wore  a  broad  band  of  cotton,  in  which  were 
braided  the  most  brilliant  feathers  of  birds.  This 
band  confined  her  hair,  which  hung  down  her  back, 
like  a  vail,  nearly  to  the  ground.  From  her  waist 
depended  a  kilt  of  tiger-skins,  and  she  wore  sandals 
of  the  same  on  her  feet.  Around  each  wrist  and 
ankle  she  had  broad  feather  bands,  like  that  which 
encircled  her  forehead. 

Her  eyes  soon  rested  upon  Antonio,  who,  on  the 
instant  of  her  approach,  had  discontinued  his  work, 
and  advanced  to  the  door.  They  exchanged  a 
glance  as  if  of  recognition,  and  spoke  a  few  hurried 
and,  to  us,  unintelligible  words,  when  the  old  wo- 
man turned  suddenly,  and  walked  away.  I  looked 
inquiringly  at  the  youthful  Indian,  whose  eyes 
glowed  again  with  that  mysterious  intelligence 
which  I  had  so  often  remarked. 

He  came  hastily  to  my  side,  and  whispered  in 
Spanish,  "  The  Mother  of  the  Tigers  is  waiting  !" 
Then,  with  nervous  steps,  he  moved  toward  the 
door.  I  beckoned  to  H.,  and  followed.  The  In- 
dians opened  to  the  right  and  left,  and  we  passed 
out,    scarcely   able    to   keep    pace   with   the   rapid 


254  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

steps  of  the  Indian  boy.  On  he  went,  as  if  familiar 
with  the  place,  past  the  open  huts,  and  into  the 
dark  forest.  I  now  saw  that  he  followed  a  light, 
not  like  that  of  a  flame,  but  of  a  burning  coal, 
which  looked  close  at  one  moment,  and  distant 
the  next.  The  path,  though  narrow,  was  smooth, 
and  ascended  rapidly.  For  half  an  hour  we  kept 
on  at  the  same  quick  joace,  when  the  trees  began  to 
separate,  and  I  could  see  that  we  were  emerging 
from  the  dark  forest  into  a  comparatively  open 
space,  in  which  the  graceful  plumes  of  the  palm- 
trees  appeared,  traced  lightly  against  the  starry  sky. 
Here  the  guiding  fire  seemed  to  halt,  and,  coming 
up,  we  found  the  same  old  woman  who  had  visited 
us  in  the  village,  and  who  now  carried  a  burning 
brand  as  a  direction  to  our  steps.  She  made  a  sign 
of  silence,  and  moved  on  slowly,  and  with  apparent 
caution.  A  few  minutes'  walk  brought  us  to  what, 
in  the  dim  light,  appeared  to  be  a  building  of  stone, 
and  soon  after  to  another  and  larger  one.  I  saw 
that  they  were  partly  ruined,  for  the  stars  in  the  hori- 
zon were  visible  through  the  open  doorways.  Our 
guide  passed  these  without  stopping,  and  led  us  to 
the  threshold  of  a  small  cane-built  hut,  which  stood 
beyond  the  ruin.  The  door  was  open,  and  the  light 
from  within  shone  out  on  the  smoothly  beaten 
ground  in  front,  in  a  broad  unwavering  column. 
We  entered  ;  but  for  the  moment  I  was  almost 
blinded  by  a  blaze  of  light  proceeding  from  torches 
of  pine-wood,  planted  in  each  corner.  I  was 
startled  also  by  an  angry  growl,  and  the  sudden 


SANCTUARY     OF     THE     SUKIA.  255 

apparition  of  some  wild  animal  at  our  feet.  I 
shrank  back  with  a  feeling  of  alarm,  which,  was  not 
diminished  when,  upon  recovering  my  powers  of 
vision,  I  saw  directly  in  front  of  us,  as  if  -guardian 
of  the  dwelling,  a  large  tiger,  its  fierce  eyes  fixed 
upon  us,  and  slowly  sweeping  the  ground  with  its 
long  tail,  as  if  preparing  to  spring  at  our  throats. 

It,  however,  stopped  the  way  only  for  a  moment. 
A  single  word  and  gesture  from  the  old  woman 
drove  it  into  a  corner  of  the  hut,  where  it  crouched 
down  in  quiet.  I  glanced  around,  hut  excepting  a 
single  rude  Indian  drum,  placed  in  the  centre  of 
the  smooth,  earthen  floor,  and  a  few  blocks  of  stone 
planted  along  the  walls  for  seats,  there  were  no 
other  articles,  either  of  use  or  ornament,  in  the  hut. 
But  at  one  extremity  of  the  low  apartment,  seated 
upon  an  outspread  tiger-skin,  was  a  woman,  whose 
figure  and  manner  at  once  marked  her  out  as  the 
extraordinary  Sukia  whom  we  had  come  so  far  to 
visit.  She  was  young,  certainly  not  over  twenty, 
tall,  and  perfectly  formed,  and  wore  a  tiger-skin  in 
the  same  manner  as  the  old  woman  who  had  acted 
as  her  messenger,  but  the  band  around  her  fore- 
head, and  her  armlets  and  anklets,  were  of  gold. 

She  rose  when  we  entered,  and,  with  a  faint  smile 
of  recognition  to  H.,  spoke  a  few  words  of  welcome. 
I  had  expected  to  see  a  bold  pretender  to  supernat- 
ural powers,  whose  first  efibrts  would  be  directed  to 
work  upon  the  imaginations  of  her  visitors,  and  was 
surprised  to  find  that  the  "  Mother  of  the  Tigers" 
was  after  all  only  a  shy  and  timid  Indian  girl.     Her 


256 


THE     MOSQUITO     SHOBE, 


looks,  at  first,  were  troubled,  and  she  glanced  into 
our  eyes  inquiringly  ;  but  suddenly  turning  her  gaze 

toward  the  open  door, 
she  uttered  an  excla- 
mation of  mingled 
surprise  and  joy,  and 
in  an  instant  after 
she  stood  by  the  side 
of  Antonio.  They 
gazed  at  each  other 
in  silence,  then  ex- 
changed a  rapid  sig- 
nal, and  a  single 
word,  when  she  turn- 
ed away,  and  Anto- 
nio retired  into  a 
corner,  where  he  re- 
mained fixed  as  a 
statue,  regarding  ev- 
ery movement  with 
the  closest  attention. 
No  sooner  had  the  Sukia  resumed  her  seat,  than 
she  clasped  her  forehead  in  her  open  palms,  and 
gazed  intently  upon  the  ground  before  her.  Never 
have  I  seen  the  face  of  a  human  being  which  wore  a 
more  earnest  expression.  For  five  minutes,  ]3er- 
haps,  the  silence  was  unbroken,  when  a  sudden 
sound,  as  of  the  snapping  of  the  string  of  a  violin, 
directed  our  attention  to  the  rude  drum  that  stood 
in  the  centre  of  the  hut.  This  sound  was  followed 
by  a  series  of  crackling  noises,  like  the  discharges  of 


"the  mother  of  the  tigers. 


8  A  N  U  T  U  A  K  Y     OF     THE     S  U  K  1  A  .  25T 

electric  sparks.  They  seemed  to  occur  irregularly 
at  first,  but  as  I  listened,  I  discovered  that  they 
had  a  harmonious  relationship,  as  if  in  accompani- 
ment to  some  simple  melody.  The  vibrations  of  the 
drum  were  distinctly  visible,  and  they  seemed  to 
give  it  a  circular  motion  over  the  ground,  from  left 
to  right.  The  sounds  stopped  as  suddenly  as  they 
had  commenced,  and  the  Sukia,  lifting  her  head, 
said  solemnly,  "  The  spirits  of  your  fathers  have 
come  to  the  mountain  !  I  know  them  not ;  you 
must  speak  to  them." 

I  hesitate  to  recount  what  I  that  night  witnessed 
in  the  rude  hut  of  the  Sukia,  lest  my  testimony 
should  expose  both  my  narrative  and  myself  to  ridi- 
cule, and  unjust  imputations.  Were  it  my  purpose 
to  elaborate  an  impressive  story,  it  would  be  easy 
to  call  in  the  aid  of  an  imposing  machinery,  and 
invest  the  communications  which  were  that  night 
made  to  us  with  a  portentous  significance.  But 
this  would  be  as  foreign  to  truth  as  repugnant  to 
my  own  feelings  ;  for  whatever  tone  of  lightness 
may  run  through  this  account  of  my  adventures  in 
the  wilderness,  those  who  know  me  will  bear  witness 
to  my  respect  for  those  things  which  are  in  their 
nature  sacred,  or  connected  with  the  more  mysteri- 
ous elements  of  our  existence.  I  can  only  say,  that 
except  the  somewhat  melo-dramatic  manner  in 
which  we  had  been  conducted  up  the  mountain  by 
the  messenger  of  the  Sukia,  and  the  incident  of  the 
tamed   tiger,    nothing    occurred    during    our  visit 


258  THE     BIOSQUITO     SHORE. 

wliicli  appeared  to  have  been  designed  for  effect,  or 
which  was  visibly  out  of  the  ordinary  course  of 
things.  It  is  true,  I  was  somewhat  puzzled,  I  will 
not  say  impressed,  with  the  perfect  understanding, 
or  relationship,  which  seemed  to  exist  between  the 
Sukia  and  Antonio,  This  relationship,  however, 
was  fully  explained  in  the  sequel.  Among  the 
ruling  and  the  priestly  classes  of  the  semi-civilized 
nations  of  America,  there  has  always  existed  a  mys- 
terious bond,  or  secret  organization,  which  all  the 
disasters  to  which  they  have  been  subjected,  have 
not  destroyed.  It  is  to  its  present  existence  that 
we  may  attribute  those  simultaneous  movements  of 
the  aborigines  of  Mexico,  Central  America,  and 
Peru,  which  have,  more  than  once,  threatened  the 
complete  subversion  of  the  Spanish  power. 

It  was  past  midnight  when,  with  a  new  and 
deeper  insight  into  the  mysteries  of  our  present  and 
future  existence,  and  a  fuller  and  loftier  apprecia- 
tion of  the  great  realities  which  are  to  follow  upon 
the  advent  of  every  soul  into  the  universe,  and  of 
which  earth  is  scarcely  the  initiation,  that  H.  and 
myself  left  the  sanctuary  of  the  Sukia.  The  moon 
had  risen,  and  now  silvered  every  object  with  its 
steady  light,  revealing  to  us  that  we  stood  upon  a 
narrow  terrace  of  the  mountain,  facing  the  east,  and 
commanding  a  vast  panorama  of  forest  and  savan- 
nah, bounded  only  by  the  distant  sea.  Immediately 
in  front  of  the  hut  from  which  we  had  emerged, 
stood  one  of  the  ruined  structures  to  ^vhich  I  have 


SANCTUARY     OF     THE     SUKIA 


259 


already  alluded.  By  the  clear  light  of  the  moon  I 
could  perceive  that  it  was  built  of  large  stones,  laid 
with  the  greatest  regularity,  and  sculptured  all  over 
witii  strange  figures,  having  a  close  resemblance,  if 
not  an  absolute  identity,  with  those  which  have  be- 
come familiarized  to  us  by  the  j)encil  of  Catherwood, 


THE  SANCTUAHY  OP  THE  SUKIA. 

It  appeared  originally  to  have  been  of  two  stories, 
but  the  upper  walls  had  fallen,  and  the  ground  was 
encumbered  with  the  rubbish,  over  which  vines  were 
trailing,  as  if  to  vail  the  crumbling  ruins  from  the 
gaze  of  men.  As  we  moved  away,  and  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  the  ruins,  we  observed  a 
large  erect  stone,  rudely  sculptured  in  the  outline 


260  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

of  a  human  figure.  Its  face  was  turned  to  the 
East,  as  if  to  catch  the  first  rays  of  the  morning, 
and  the  hght  of  the  moon  fell  full  upon  it.  To  my 
surprise,  its  features  were  the  exact  counterparts  of 
those  which  ajjpeared  on  Antonio's  talisman.  There 
was  no  mistaking  the  rigid  yet  not  ungentle  ex- 
pression of  the  "  Lord  who  never  lies." 

Silently  we  followed  the  guide,  who  had  con- 
ducted us  uj)  the  mountain,  into  the  narrow  path 
which  led  to  the  villao;e.  She  indicated  to  us  the 
direction  we  were  to  jDursue  with  her  hand,  and  left 
us  without  a  word.  I  was  so  absorbed  in  my  own 
reflections  that  it  was  not  until  we  had  reached  our 
temporerry  quarters  that  I  missed  Antonio.  He  had 
remained  behind.  But  when  I  awoke  next  morn- 
ing he  had  returned,  and  was  busily  preparing  for 
our  departure.  "  It  is  well  with  our  brothers  of  the 
mountains  \"  was  his  prompt  response  to  my  look 
of  inquiry.  From  that  day  forward  his  absorbing 
idea  seemed  to  be  to  return  as  sj)eedily  as  posible  to 
his  people.  It  was  long  afterward  that  I  discovered 
the  deep  significance  of  the  visit  of  the  youthful 
chieftain  of  the  Itzaes  to  the  Indian  seeress  of  the 
Eiver  Bocay.  Since  then  the  Spaniard,  though 
fenced  round  with  bayonets,  has  often  shuddered 
when  he  has  heard  the  cry  of  the  tiger  in  the  still- 
ness of  the  night,  betraying  the  approach  of  those 
injured  men,  whose  relentless  arms,  nerved  by  the 
recollections  of  three  centuries  of  oppression,  now 
threaten  the  utter  extermination  of  the  race  of  the 
conquerors  ! 


NUEVA     SEGOVIA.  261 

Our  passage  down  the  Bocay  was  rapid  compared 
with  the  ascent,  and  at  noon  we  had  reached  the 
great  river.  My  course  now  \aj  in  one  direction, 
and  that  of  Mr.  H.  in  another,  but  we  were  loth  to 
separate,  and  he  finally  agreed  to  accompany  us  to 
our  first  stopping-place,  and,  passing  the  night  with 
us  there,  return  next  day  to  the  Cape.  It  was 
scarcely  four  o'clock  when  we  reached  the  desig- 
nated point,  chiefly  remarkable  as  marking  the 
termination  of  the  savannahs.  Beyond  here  the 
banks  of  the  river  became  elevated,  rising  in  hills 
and  high  mountains,  densely  covered  with  a  gigan- 
tic primeval  forest.  Our  Indian  companions  speed- 
ily supplied  us  with  an  abundance  of  fish,  with 
which  the  river  seemed  to  swarm.  And  as  for  vege- 
tables— wherever  the  banks  of  the  river  are  low  there 
is  a  profusion  of  bananas  and  plantains,  growing 
from  bulbs,  which  have  been  brought  down  from  the 
interior,  and  deposited  by  the  river  in  its  overflows. 

Mr.  H.  had  once  ascended  the  river  to  its  source, 
in  the  elevated  mining  district  of  New  Segovia,  the 
extreme  north-western  department  of  Nicaragua. 
The  ascent  had  occupied  him  twenty  days.  In 
many  places,  he  said,  the  channel  is  completely  in- 
terrupted by  falls  and  impassable  rapids,  around 
which  it  was  necessary  to  drag  the  canoes.  In 
other  places  the  river  is  compressed  between  verti- 
cal walls  of  rock,  and  the  water  runs  with  such 
force  that  it  required  many  attempts  and  the  most 
vigorous  exertions  to  get  the  boats  through. 

He  represented  that  New  Segovia  has  a  consider- 


262  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

able  population  of  civilized  Indians,  whose  princi- 
pal occupation  is  the  washing  of  gold,  which  is 
found  in  all  of  the  upper  waters.  Their  mode  of 
life  he  described  as  affording  a  curious  illustration  of 
the  influence  of  the  Catholic  priests,  who  are  scat- 
tered here  and  there,  and  who  exercise  almost  un- 
bounded influence  over  the  simple  natives.  The 
nature  of  their  relationship,  as  well  as  their  own 
manners,  were  so  well  illustrated  by  an  incident 
which  befell  him  during  his  visit  there,  that  I  shall 
attempt  to  relate  it,  as  nearly  as  jaossible  in  his  own 
words.  The  reader  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  re- 
cital was  made  in  a  fragmentary  manner,  in  the  in- 
tervals of  vigorous  puffing  at  a  huge  cigar,  and  that 
I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  commencing  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  story,  and  not  at  the  end. 

"  On  our  nineteenth  evening  from  the  Cape," 
said  H.,  "  after  a  fatiguing  day  of  alternate  poling 
and  paddling,  we  reached  Pantasma,  the  extreme 
frontier  Segovian  settlement  on  the  river.  As  we 
drew  up  to  the  bank,  thankful  for  the  prospect  of 
shelter  and  rest  which  the  village  held  out,  we  were 
surprised  to  hear  the  music  of  drums  and  pipes, 
and,  for  a  moment,  were  under  the  pleasing  im- 
pression that  the  people  had,  in  some  way,  got  in- 
formation of  our  approach,  and  had  taken  this 
mode  of  giving  us  a  welcome.  However,  we  soon 
saw  that  the  musicians  were  in  attendance   on  a 


A     TALE     OF     WANKS     RIVER.  263 

white  man,  whose  garb  had  a  strange  mixture  of 
civilized  and  savage  fashions.  He  regarded  us  curi- 
ously for  a  few  moments,  and  then,  giving  the  near- 
est musicians  each  a  vigorous  kick,  he  ran  down  to 
the  water,  and  bestowed  upon  all  of  us  an  equally 
hearty  embrace  !  Propounding  a  dozen  inquiries 
in  a  breath,  he  announced  himself  an  Englishman 
^  in  a  d — 1  of  a  fix,'  whose  immediate  and  over- 
shadowing ambition  was,  that  all  hands  should  go 
straight  to  his  hut  and  have  something  to  drink  ! 
Our  fii'st  impression  was  decidedly  that  the  man 
was  mad  ;  but  we  were  undeceived  when  we  got  to 
his  house,  which  we  found  profusely  supplied  with 
food,  and  where  we  were  not  long  in  making  our- 
selves thoroughly  at  home.  Perhaps  what  we  drank 
had  something  to  do  with  it,  but  certainly  we  near- 
ly died  with  laughter  in  listening  to  our  host's  re- 
cital of  his  adventures  in  Central  America,  and 
especially  of  the  way  in  which  he  had  got  to  Pan- 
tasma,  and  came  to  have  an  escort  of  musicians. 

"  His   name,   he    said,   was  Harry  F .      He 

was  the  son  of  a  London  merchant,  who  was  well 
to  do  in  the  world.  As  usual  with  sons  of  such 
papas,  he  had  gone  to  school  when  younger,  and 
entered  his  father's  establishment  when  old  enough, 
where,  as  the  probable  successor  of  the  principal, 
he  was,  in  his  own  estimation  at  least,  an  important 
personage,  and,  altogether,  above  work.  He  never- 
theless affected  a  great  Hldng  for  the  pacldng  de- 
partment, for  the  reason  that  it  connected  with  a 
vault,  in  which  he  had  established  a  smoking-room, 


264  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE 

where  he  spent  the  day  in  devising  plans  of  amuse- 
ment for  the  night,  in  company  with  chosen  spirits 
and  choice  Havanas. 

"  When  he  had  reached  his  majority,  his  father 
thought  it  prudent  to  detach  him  from  his  associa- 
tions, hy  giving  him  a  Httle  experience  in  the  sever- 
ities of  the  world.  Having  several  friends  in  Belize, 
he  fitted  him  out  with  an  adventure,  costing  somo 
twenty-five  hundred  dollars,  and  consisting  of 
nearly  every  useless  article  that  could  be  found, 
which,  by  its  glitter  and  gaud,  it  was  supposed, 
would  attract  the  easily-dazzled  eyes  of  the  jDeople 
of  the  tropics.  He  duly  arrived  at  Belize,  full  of 
bright  anticipations.  One  of  his  cherished  schemes 
was  to  sell  his  jewelry  in  the  towns  of  the  interior, 
at  four  hundred  per  cent,  profit,  and  after  joaying 
expenses  and  losses,  to  return  at  once  to  London, 
with  five  thousand  dollars  clear  profit  !  So  he  went 
to  Guatemala,  and  spread  out  his  tempting  wares. 
But  he  met  with  poor  success,  and  at  the  end  of 
two  years,  having  gone  on  from  bad  to  worse,  he  at 
last  found  himself  in  the  Indian  town  where  we 
discovered  him — a  Catholic  Mission,  under  a  Ker- 
erend  Padre,  who  had  been  educated  at  Leon,  and 
had  passed  most  of  his  simple  life,  being  now  over 
threescore  and  ten,  among  the  simple  Indians, 
whom  he  governed.  When  Harry  first  arrived,  he 
proceeded  to  the  nearest  hut,  where  the  usual  hospi- 
tality of  room  to  hang  his  hammock  was  accorded 
him,  while  his  valise  was  installed  in  a  corner — said 
valise  containing  the  remnants  of  the  venture  from 


A     TALE     OF     WANKS     RIVER.  265 

London,  now  dwindled  down  to  a  very  small 
compass  indeed.  Of  liis  success  in  trading,  Harry- 
spoke  very  frankly  :  '  Th§  hardest  lot  of  worthless 
articles  I  ever  saw  ;  some  that  I  could  not  even 
give  away  ;  and  those  which  I  sold,  I  had  to  trust  to 
people  so  poor  that  they  never  paid  me  !  So  I  let 
one  man  pick  out  all  he  had  a  mind  to,  for  one 
thousand  dollars  in  cash  ;  and  that  jDaid  my  expen- 
ses in  Guatemala,  until  I  got  tired  of  the  place,  and 
started  off  down  here.' 

"  After  swinging  his  hammock  in  his  new  quar- 
ters, Harry  made  the  tour  of  the  village,  and  called 
on  the  padre,  who  was  delighted  to  see  him,  as 
padres  always  are,  took  him  to  his  church,  which 
was  as  large  as  a  city  parlor,  and  then  gave  him  a 
good  dinner  of  fish  and  turtle.  Harry  had  not  had 
so  sumptuous  a  meal  for  many  a  day  ;  and  when 
the  good  father  brought  forth  a  joint  of  bamboo, 
which  held  nearly  a  gallon,  and  drew  from  it  a 
supply  of  tolerable  rum,  he  felt  that  he  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  a  good  Samaritan.  So  long  as 
this  hospitality  lasted,  he  sought  no  change.  In 
the  fullness  of  his  gratitude,  he  made  visits  to  all 
the  huts  in  the  village,  and  overwhelmed  the 
inmates  with  presents  of  articles  which  he  had  not 
been  able  to  give  away  in  other  places.  In  return, 
they  gave  him  part  of  a  morning's  fishing,  or  part 
of  a  turtle,  and  thus  kejDt  him  in  provisions.  But 
times  changed  after  a  few  days  ;  his  friend  the 
padre  ceased  to  bring  forth  the  bamboo  joint,  and 
at  the  same  time   commenced   to   exhort   him   to 

12 


266  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

repentance,  and  to  the  acceptance  of  the  true 
church.  His  host,  too,  declined  to  catch  any  more 
fish  than  were  consumed  by  his  interesting  wife  and 
three  naked  children. 

"  Harry  smoked  long  and  intensely  over  the  sub- 
ject. He  might  make  a  '  raise '  on  a  pair  of  panta- 
loons, but  then,  '  when  that  was  gone  ?'  It  was 
the  first  time  in  his  life  that  he  had  been  obliged 
seriously  to  reflect  how  he  should  be  able  to  get  his 
next  meal.  He  tried  oranges,  bananas,  and  pine- 
apples, but  still  he  was  hungry.  As  to  fishing,  he 
had  never  caught  a  fish  in  his  life,  and  a  turtle 
would  be  perfectly  safe  under  his  feet.  His  case 
became  desperate.  Such  cases  require  desperate 
remedies,  and  Harry  went  to  the  padre,  to  consult 
with  him  as  to  the  best  mode  of  reaching  Leon,  dis- 
tant some  two  hundred  miles,  beyond  the  mountains. 

"  It  was  a  lucky  moment  for  a  visit  to  the  reverend 
father,  since,  in  return  for  some  hides,  sarsaparilla, 
and  balsam,  sent  by  him  to  his  correspondent,  the 
padre  at  Choluteca,  a  large  town  on  the  Pacific,  he 
had  received,  among  other  luxuries,  a  reenforcement 
of  bamboo  joints.  These  had  already  added  to  his 
good  humor,  and  given  to  his  fat  corporation  and 
ruddy  face  an  unusual  glow.  He  gave  Harry  a 
warm  greeting,  and  pointing  to  the  broached  joint, 
told  him  to  help  himself,  which  he  did  without  re- 
serve. Harry,  in  his  best,  though  very  bad  Sjian- 
ish,  stated  his  case,  and  the  holy  father  listened 
and  replied.  The  next  morning  our  hero  awoke, 
and  was  rather  surprised  to  find  himself  yet  at  the 


A     TALE     OF     WANKS     RIVER.  267 

padre's  house,  where  he  had  slept  in  a  hammock. 
An  empty  bamboo  joint  was  beside  him,  and  he 
had  a  glimmering  idea  of  a  compact  with  the 
padre,  through  which  he  was  to  be  extricated  from 
his  present  uncomfortable  position,  and  reach  Leon 
in  a  most  acceptable  manner.  But  how  this  was  to 
be  done  had  escaped  him  ;  he  had  only  a  faint  rec- 
ollection that  the  padre  had  insisted  upon  initiating 
him  into  some  mystery  or  other,  and  that  in  the 
fullness  of  heart  he  had  assented,  to  the  great  joy  of 
the  priest,  who,  on  the  spot  had  given  him  a  hearty 
embrace,  and  commenced  learning  him  how  to 
make  the  sign  of  the  cross.  The  worthy  padre 
awoke  with  rather  different  sensations,  for  he  felt 
exalted  with  the  thought  that  he,  a  poor  priest  over 
a  miserable  Indian  community  for  forty  years, 
should  finally  be  able  to  rescue  the  soul  of  a  heretic 
from  the  arch  enemy.  He  was  thankful  that  his 
eloquence  had  enabled  him  to  attach  an  immortal 
being  to  the  true  church — a  white  one  at  that,  who 
was  of  more  value  than  a  whole  community  of  sav- 
ages. It  was  a  miracle,  he  was  satisfied,  of  his 
patron  saint,  Leocadia  !  So  without  loss  of  time 
he  proceeded  with  the  work  of  redemption.  Harry 
proved  an  apt  disciple  ;  and  after  making  up  a  lot 
of  cigars  from  the  tobacco-pouch  of  the  padre,  the 
latter  proceeded  to  explain  to  him  what  he  required 
in  the  premises.  Harry's  mouth  opened,  and  his 
cigar  fell  unheeded  to  the  ground,  when  the  padre 
announced  his  intention  to  administer  to  him  thf^ 
rite  of  baptism  without  delay. 


268  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

"  By  tlic  time  he  had  finished  his  explanation, 
Harry's  mind  was  made  up  ;  as  there  were  no  look- 
ers on  whom  he  cared  for,  he  would  let  the  padre 
have  his  way,  or,  as  he  afterward  expressed  it, 
'  put  him  through.' 

"  For  several  days  the  padre  and  himself  worked 
hard.  He  went  carefully  over  the  various  responses 
and  prayers,  as  they  were  dictated  to  him,  made 
the  sign  of  the  cross  in  due  form  and  proper  place, 
and,  by  the  assistance  of  the  bamboo  joint,  was,  on 
the  second  day  pronounced  in  a  hopeful  state,  and 
told  that  the  afternoon  following  should  witness  the 
final  act  of  his  salvation.  The  sun  was  declining, 
when  Harry,  habited  in  his  best,  proceeded  to  the 
padre's  house.  He  was  rather  surprised  at  meeting 
so  many  people,  for  he  had  not  been  consulted  in 
any  of  the  arrangements,  and  was  not  aware  that 
every  native  in  the  vicinity  had  been  notified  of  the 
ceremony  in  which  he  was  to  take  so  important  a 
part.  All  had  come,  men,  women,  and  children, 
dressed  in  very  scanty,  but  very  clean  white  cotton 
garments.  They  opened  a  passage  for  him  to  enter 
the  padre's  house,  whom  he  found  arrayed  in  his 
priestly  vestments.  He  was  informed  that  all  were 
about  proceeding  to  his  house  to  escort  him  to  the 
church,  but  that,  being  on  the  sjjot,  the  procession 
would  form  at  once.  Harry  submitted  without 
question  to  the  padre's  directions,  had  a  quiet  in- 
terview with  the  bamboo  joint,  and  was  ready. 
The  procession  was  headed  by  four  alcaldes,  of  dif- 
ferent villages,  each  with  his  official  baton,  a  tall, 


A    TALE     OF     WANKS     RIVER.  269 

gold-headed  staff.  Next  came  the  music,  consisting 
of  three  performers  on  rude  clarionets,  made  of  long 
joints  of  cane,  and  three  performers  on  drums,  each 
made  of  a  large  calabash  with  a  monkey-skin  drawn 
over  it.  Next  came  Harry  and  the  worthy  padre, 
and  then  the  people  of  the  village,  and  the  '  invited 
guests,'  six  deej),  and  a  hundred  all  told.  When 
our  hero  took  his  place  in  the  procession,  the  padre 
threw  over  his  shoulders  a  poncho,  six  feet  long, 
gaudily  decorated  with  the  tails  of  macaws,  bright 
feathers  from  strange  birds,  and  strings  of  small 
river-shells,  which  rattled  at  every  step  ;  and  thus 
they  started.  First  they  went  to  Harry's  own  hut, 
and,  as  they  doubled  that,  and  took  their  route 
toward  the  church,  he  could  see  the  last  of  the  pro- 
cession leaving  the  vicinity  of  the  padre's  house. 
After  the  manner  of  their  processions  on  high  relig- 
ious festivals,  they  came  singing  and  dancing,  and 
altogether  appearing  very  happy.  Harry  was  glad 
in  his  heart  that  no  white  man  was  looking  on,  and 
had  to  laugh  inwardly  at  the  fuss  that  was  made 
over  him.  In  due  time  they  arrived  at  the  church, 
and  the  usual  ceremonies  of  baptism  were  gone 
through  with,  succeeded  by  a  dance,  on  the  grass, 
to  say  nothing  of  a  liberal  dispensation  from  the 
padre's  bamboo  joints.  The  jjadre  dismissed  the 
assembly  very  early,  and  retired,  never  having  had 
so  glorious  or  so  fatiguing  a  day  within  his  memory, 
and  he  was  the  oldest  inhabitant ! 

"  Harry  wended  his  way  to  his  hammock,  made 
a  cigar,  thought  over  the   events   of  the  day,  and 


270  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

wondered  whether  the  church  was  now  bound  to 
find  him  fish  and  the  et  ceteras  ;  but,  before  any 
conclusion  could  be  come  at  in  his  mind,  he  fell 
asleep.  Awaking  in  the  morning,  he  was  accosted 
at  his  door  by  several  neighbors,  who  asked  him  to 
accept  the  presents  they  had  brought,  which  he  did 
of  course,  without  knowing  that  it  is  always  the 
custom  to  send  something  to  every  villager  when- 
ever he  happens  to  have  a  christening,  a  marriage, 
or  a  death  in  his  family.  This  being  a  very  great 
occasion,  every  body  had  been  liberal  and  generous 
withal,  and  in  a  short  space  he  found  himself  sup- 
plied with  provisions  for  a  long  time,  more  fish  than 
he  could  eat  in  months,  turtles,  chickens,  pigs, 
eggs,  piles  of  fruit  of  all  kinds,  yams,  wild  animals, 
in  fact  every  thing  that  was  edible.  Sending  a 
large  part  of  his  presents  as  an  offering  to  the 
church,  Harry  returned  to  his  hammock  and  cigar, 
while  his  hostess  commenced  cooking  with  an  agree- 
able alacrity. 

"  Late  in  the  afternoon  he  started  for  the  padre's 
house,  but  had  hardly  emerged  from  his  hut  when 
he  was  somewhat  surprised  to  find  himself  joined 
by  the  musicians  of  the  village,  the  clarionet  taking 
precedence,  and  the  drum  filing  in,  both  playing 
the  usual  no-tune  to  the  best  of  their  ability.  And 
thus  it  happened  for  weeks  afterward,  for  thus  did 
the  padre  seek  to  do  honor  to  the  new  disciple  of 
the  faith. 

"  It  was  on  one  of  these  formal  promenades," 
continued  H.,  "  that  we  made  our  appearance  at 


A     TALE     OF     WANKS    KIVER.  271 

Pantasma,  to  Harry^s  exceeding  astonishment,  and 
great  joy.  We  ridiculed  him  for  his  emphatic  dis- 
missal of  his  musical  friends,  but  he  was  too  much 
delighted  to  be  captious,  and  sent  straightway  for 
the  padre,  who  brought  with  him  a  bamboo-joint, 
wherewith  we  made  merry,  even  to  the  going  down 
of  the  sun.  We  all  went  to  sleep  while  the  worthy 
priest  was  reading  to  us  the  certificate  of  Harry's 
baptism,  which  he  had  carefully  engrossed  on  five 
closely-written  pages." 

And  what,  I  inquired,  became  of  the  convert  ? 

"  Oh  !  he  returned  with  us  ;  and  that  old  Port 
which  you  tasted  at  the  Cape  is  one  of  the  many 
evidences  which  I  have  received  of  his  grateful 
recollection,  since  he  has  returned  to  London  to 
the  inheritance  of  his  fathers." 


tliree  days  after  our  parting 
with  H.,  we  kept  on  our  course  up 
the  Great  Cape  river.  The  cur- 
rent increased  as  we  advanced,  and 
large  rocks  of  quartz  and  granite  began  to  appear 
in  the  channel.  The  valley  of  the  river  also  con- 
tracted to  such  a  degree  as  to  deserve  no  better 
name  than  that  of  a  gorge.  Sometimes  we  found 
ourselves,  for  miles  together,  shut  in  between  high 
mountains,  whose  rugged  and  verdureless  tops  rose 
to  mid-heaven,  interposing  impassable  barriers  to 
the  vapor-charged  clouds  which  the  north-east  trade- 
winds  pile  up  against  their  eastern  declivities,  where 


TROPICAL     THUNDER-STORMS.  273 

they  are  precipitated  in  almost  unceasing  rains. 
Night  and  storm  overtook  us  in  one  of  these  gigan- 
tic mountain  clefts.  The  thunder  rolled  along  the 
granite  peaks,  and  the  lightning  burned  adown 
their  riven  sides,  and  were  flashed  back  by  the 
dark  waters  of  the  angry  river.  The  dweller  in 
northern  latitudes  can  poorly  comprehend  any  de- 
scription which  may  be  given  of  a  tropical  storm. 
To  say  that  the  thunder  is  incessant,  does  not  ade- 
quately convey  to  the  mind  the  terror  of  these  pro- 
longed peals  which  seem  to  originate  in  the  horizon, 
roll  ujDward  to  the  zenith,  louder  and  louder,  until, 
silent  for  a  moment,  they  burst  upon  the  earth  in 
blinding  flame,  and  a  concentrated  crash,  which 
makes  the  very  mountains  reel  to  their  foundations. 
Not  from  one  direction  alone,  but  from  every  quar- 
ter of  the  compass,  the  elements  seem  to  gather  to 
the  fierce  encounter,  and  the  thunder  booms,  and 
the  lightning  blazes  from  a  hundred  rifts  in  the 
inky  sky.  So  intense  and  searing  is  the  electric 
flame,  that  for  hours  after  heavy  storms  I  have  had 
spasmodic  attacks  of  blindness,  accompanied  with 
intense  pain  of  the  eyeballs.  I  found  that  my  In- 
dian companions  were  equally  affected,  and  that  to 
avoid  evil  consequences  they  always  bound  their 
handkerchiefs,  dipj)ed  in  water,  over  their  eyes, 
while  the  storm  continued.  The  Indians,  I  may 
here  mention,  have  many  prejudices  on  the  subject 
of  .electricity,  as  well  as  in  regard  to  the  efiect  of  the 
rays  of  the  moon.  They  will  not  sleep  with  their  faces 
exposed  to  its  light,  nor  catch  fish  on  the  nights  when 

12* 


274  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

it  is  above  the  horizon.  My  companions,  at  such 
times,  always  selected  the  densest  shade  for  our  en- 
campment. They  affirmed  that  the  effect  of  expos- 
ure would  be  the  distortion  of  the  features,  and  the 
immediate  mortification  of  such  wounds  and  bruises 
as  might  be  reached  by  the  moonlight.  I  after- 
ward found  that  the  mahogany-cutters  on  the 
north  coast  never  felled  their  trees  at  certain  periods 
of  the  moon,  for  the  reason,  as  they  asserted,  that 
the  timber  was  then  not  only  more  liable  to  check 
or  split,  but  also  more  exposed  to  rot.  They  have 
the  same  notion  with  the  Indians  as  to  the  effect  of 
the  moonlight  on  men  and  animals,  and  support  it 
by  the  fact  that  animals,  left  to  themselves,  al- 
ways seek  shelter  from  the  moon,  when  selecting 
their  nightly  resting-places. 

We  had  now  ascended  the  river,  five  full  days 
from  the  Caj)e,  having,  according  to  my  computa- 
tion, advanced  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles.  The 
Poyer  was  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  stream, 
which  he  had  several  times  descended  with  the  peo- 
ple of  his  village,  in  their  semi-annual  visits  to  the 
coast.  In  these  visits,  he  told  me,  they  took  down 
liquid  amber,  a  few  deer-skins,  a  little  anotto,  and 
sarsaparilla,  bringing  back  iron  barbs  for  their  ar- 
rows, knives,  machetes,  and  a  few  articles  of  orna- 
ment. 

On  the  night  of  the  fifth  day,  we  encamped  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Tirolas,  a  considerable  stream, 
which  enters  the  Wanks  from  the  north,  and  up 
which  we,  next  morning,  took  our  course.     Our  ad- 


RIVER    TIROLAS.  275 

vance  was  now  slow  and  laborious,  owing  to  the 
rapidity  of  the  current,  and  the  numerous  rocks 
and  fallen  trees  which  obstructed  the  channel. 
The  river  wound  among  hills,  which  increased  in 
altitude  as  we  penetrated  farther  inland,  until  I 
discovered  that  we  were  approaching  the  great 
mountain  range,  which  traverses  the  country  from 
south-west  to  north-east,  constituting  the  "  divide," 
or  water-shed,  as  I  afterward  found,  between  the 
valley  of  the  Cape  Kiver  and  the  streams  which 
flow  northward  into  the  Bay  of  Honduras.  Hour 
by  hour  we  came  nearer  to  this  great  barrier,  which 
presented  to  us  a  steep  and  apparently  inaccessible 
front.  I  was  rather  a2:)palled  when  my  Poyer  told 
me  that  the  village  of  his  people  lay  beyond  this 
range,  over  which  we  would  be  obliged  to  climb  in 
order  to  reach  it.  However,  there  was  now  no  al- 
ternative left  but  to  go  ahead,  so  I  gave  myself  no 
further  concern,  although  I  could  not  help  wonder- 
ing how  we  were  to  clamber  up  the  dizzy  steeps 
which  appeared  more  and  more  abrupt  as  we  ap- 
proached them. 

It  was  on  the  second  evening  after  leaving  the 
great  river,  that  we  reached  the  head  of  canoe  navi- 
gation on  the  Tirolas,  at  a  point  where  two  bright 
streams,  tumbling  over  their  rocky  beds,  united  in 
a  placid  pool  of  clear  water,  at  the  very  feet  of  the 
mountains.  It  was  a  spot  of  surpassing  beauty. 
The  pool  was,  perhaps,  a  hundred  yards  broad,  and, 
in  places,  twenty  or  thirty  feet  deep,  yet  so  clear 
that  every  pebble  at  the  bottom,  and  every  fish 


276 


THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 


■wliicli  sported  in  its  crystal  depths,  were  distinctly 
visible  to  the  eye.  Upon  one  side  rose  huge  gray 
rocks  of  granite,  draped  over  with  vines,  and  shad- 
owed by  large  and  wide-spreading  trees,  whose 
branches,   crowded  with    the  wax-like   leaves   and 


EMBARCADERO    ON    THE    TIROLAS. 

flowers  of  innumerable  air-jjlants,  cast  dark,  broad 
shadows  on  the  water.  Upon  the  other  side  was  a 
smooth,  sandy  beach,  completely  sheltered  from  the 
sun  by  large  trees,  beneath  which  were  drawn  up  a 
number  of  canoes,  carefully  protected  from  the 
weather  by  rude  sheds  of  cahoon  leaves.      These 


TIROLAS     EMBARCADEllO.  277 

canoes  belonged  to  the  Poyer  Indians,  and  are 
used  by  them  in  their  voyages  to  the  Cape,  A 
little  lower  down  the  stream  were  clusters  of  palm- 
trees,  and  large  patches  of  bananas  and  plantains, 
which  seemed  to  have  been  carefully  nurtured  by 
the  Indians  in  their  visits  to  this  picturesque  "  em- 
barcadero." 

The  slant  rays  of  the  evening  sun  fell  ujjon  one 
half  of  the  pool,  where  the  little  ripples  chased 
each  other  sparkling  to  the  shore,  while  upon  the- 
other  part,  the  rocks  and  forest  cast  their  cool,  dark 
shadows.  And  as  our  canoe  shot  in  upon  its  trans- 
parent bosom,  I  could  not  help  joining  in  my 
Poyer  boy's  shout  of  joy.  Even  "  El  Moro"  flut- 
tered his  bright  wings,  and  screamed  in  sympathetic 
glee.  A  few  vigorous  strokes  of  the  paddles,  and 
our  canoe  drove  up  half  its  length  on  the  sandy 
shore,  the  sharp  pebbles  grating  pleasantly  beneath 
its  keel.  For  the  present,  at  least,  I  had  done  with 
lagoons  and  rivers,  and  a  new  excitement  awaited 
me  among  the  giddy  steeps  and  untracked  solitudes 
of  the  mountains.  Farewell  now  to  the  cramped 
canoe,  and  the  eternal  succession  of  low  and  tan- 
gled banks  ;  and  ho,  for  the  free  limb  and  the  ex- 
panding chest  of  the  son  of  the  forest  ! 

With  glad  alacrity,  my  companions  and  myself 
set  to  work  to  form  our  encampment,  on  the  clean 
dry  sand.  Then  came  Antonio,  laden  with  the 
golden  clusters  of  the  plantain,  while  the  spear  of 
the  Poyer  darted  down  in  the  clear  waters  of  the 
pool  with   unfailing   skill.     The   rousing   fire,   the 


278  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

murmur  of  the  mountain-torrents,  and  the  distant 
cry  of  the  fierce  black  tiger,  the  satisfied  sense  of 
having  safely  accomplished  an  arduous  undertaking, 
high  anticipations  of  new  adventures,  and  the  con- 
sciousness of  being  the  first  white  man  who  had 
ever  trusted  himself  in  these  unknown  fastnesses — 
all  these,  joined  to  the  contagious  joy  of  my  faith- 
ful companions,  combined  to  give  the  keenest  edge 
and  zest  to  that  night's  enjoyment.  In  my  darkest 
hours,  its  recollection  comes  over  my  soul  like  a 
beam  of  sunlight  tlirough  the  rifts  of  a  clouded 
sky — "  a  joy  forever."  Blessed  memory,  which  en- 
ables us  to  live  over  again  the  delights  of  the  past, 
and  gives  an  eternal  solace  to  the  cheerful  mind  ! 

That  night  I  made  a  formal  present  of  the  canoe 
and  its  appurtenances  to  my  Poyer  boy,  and  we  se- 
lected such  articles  as  were  indispensable  to  us, 
leaving  the  rest  to  be  sent  for  by  the  Indians  when 
we  should  reach  the  village.  My  purpose  was  to 
commence  our  march  at  dawn  on  the  following  day. 
But  in  the  morning  I  arose  with  one  of  my  feet  so 
swollen  and  painful  that  I  could  neither  put  on  my 
boot  nor  walk,  except  with  great  difficulty.  The 
cause  was,  outwardly,  very  trifling.  During  the 
previous  day  the  water  in  the  Tirolas  had  been  so 
shallow  that  it  frequently  became  necessary  to  get 
out  of  the  canoe  and  lighten  it,  in  order  to  pass  the 
various  rapids.  I  had  therefore  taken  off  my  boots, 
and  gone  into  the  water  with  my  naked  feet.  I  re- 
member stepping  on  a  rolling  stone,  slipping  off, 
and  bruising  my  ankle.     The  hurt  was,  however,  so 


AN     ACCIDENT.  279 

slight,  that  I  did  not  give  it  a  second  thought. 
But,  from  this  trifling  cause,  my  foot  and  ankle 
were  now  swollen  to  nearly  double  their  natural 
size,  and  the  prosecution  of  my  journey,  for  the  time 
being,  was  rendered  impossible.  Under  the  tropics, 
serious  consequences  often  follow  from  these  slight 
causes.  I  have  known  tetanus  to  result  from  a  lit- 
tle wound,  of  the  size  of  a  pea,  made  by  extracting 
the  bag  of  a  nigua  or  chigoe^  which  had  burrowed 
in  the  foot ! 

The  skill  of  my  companions  was  at  once  put  in 
requisition.  They  made  a  poultice  of  ripe  plan- 
tains baked  in  the  ashes,  and  mixed  with  cocoa-nut 
oil,  which  was  applied  hot  to  the  affected  parts.  This 
done,  our  canoe  was  hauled  up,  and  an  extempore 
roof  built  over  it,  to  protect  me  from  the  weather, 
in  case  it  should  happen  to  change  for  the  worse. 
I  passed  a  fretful  night,  the  pain  being  very  great, 
and  the  swelling  extending  higher  and  higher,  until 
it  had  reached  the  knee.  The  applications  had  no 
perceptible  effect.  Under  these  circumstances,  I 
determined  to  send  my  Poyer  to  his  village  for  as- 
sistance. He  represented  it  as  distant  five  days, 
but  that  it  could  be  reached,  by  forced  marches,  in 
four.  He  objected  to  leave  me,  but  on  the  second 
day,  my  foot  being  no  better,  he  obeyed  my  positive 
orders,  and  started,  taking  with  him  only  a  Irttle 
dried  meat,  his  spear,  and  his  bow. 

Antonio  now  redoubled  his  attentions,  and  I  cer- 
tainly stood  in  need  of  them.  The  jjain  kept  me 
from  slumber,  and  I  became  irritable  and  feverish. 


280  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

But  no  mother  could  have  been  more  constant, 
more  patient,  or  more  wakeful  to  every  want  than 
that  faithful  Indian  hoy.  He  exhausted  his  simple 
remedies,  and  still  the  limb  became  worse,  and  the 
unwilling  conviction  seemed  to  be  forced  on  his 
mind,  that  the  case  was  beyond  his  reach.  When, 
in  the  intervals  of  the  pain,  he  thought  me  slumber- 
ing, I  often  saw  him  consult  his  talisman  with  un- 
disguised anxiety.  He  however,  always  seemed  to 
feel  reassured  by  it,  and  to  become  more  cheerful. 

On  the  third  day  a  suppuration  appeared  at 
the  ankle,  and  the  pain  and  swelUng  diminished  ; 
and  on  the  succeeding  morning  I  probed  the  wound, 
and,  to  my  surprise,  removed  a  small  sj)linter  of 
stone,  which  had  been  the  cause  of  all  my  affliction. 
From  that  moment  my  improvement  was  rapid,  and 
I  was  soon  able  to  move  about  without  difficulty, 

I  amused  myself  much  with  fishing  in  the  pool, 
in  which  there  were  large  numbers  of  an  active  kind 
of  fish,  varying  from  ten  to  sixteen  inches  in  length, 
of  reddish  color,  and  voracious  apj:)etites.  Toward 
evening,  when  the  flies  settled  down  near  the  sur- 
face, they  rose  like  the  trout,  and  kept  the  pool 
boihng  with  their  swift  leaping  after  their  ftrey.  I 
improved  my  limited  experience  in  fly-fishing  at 
home,  to  devise  imj)romptu  insects,  and  astonished 
Antonio  with  that,  to  him,  novel  device  in  the  pis- 
catory art.  These  fish,  with  an  occasional  wild  tur- 
key, the  latter  generally  tough  and  insipid,  consti- 
tuted about  our  only  food.  Ducks,  curlews,  and 
snipe,  so  common  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lagoons, 


A     STRANGE     ADVENTURE.  281 

were  here  unknown,  and  we  listened  in  vain  for  the 
cry  of  the  cliachalaca.  There  were,  however,  numer- 
ous birds  of  song,  and  of  bright  plumage,  but  not 
fit  for  food.  I  saw  some  owls  ;  and  now  and  then 
a  large  hawk  would  settle  down  sullenly  on  the  trees 
which  overhung  the  pool.  Gray-squirrels  also  occa- 
sionally rustled  the  branches  above  our  heads,  but 
the  foliage  was  so  dense  that  I  was  only  successful 
in  obtaining  a  single  specimen.  Once  a  squadron 
of  monkeys  came  trooping  through  the  tree-tops  to 
rob  the  plantain-grove,  but  a  charge  of  buckshot, 
which  brought  two  of  them  to  the  ground,  was  ef- 
fectual in  deterring  them  from  a  second  visit.  They 
were  of  a  small  variety,  body  black,  face  white,  and 
"whiskered  like  a  pard."  Antonio  cooked  one  of 
them  in  the  sand,  but  he  looked  so  much  like  a 
singed  baby  which  I  once  saw  taken  out  of  the  ruins 
of  a  fire  in  Ann- street,  that  I  could  not  bring  my- 
self to  taste  him.  So  my  Indian  had  an  undisputed 
monopoly  of  the  monkey. 

But  the  most  exciting  incident,  connected  with 
our  stay  on  the  banks  of  the  Tirolas,  was  one  which 
I  can  never  recall  without  going  into  a  fit  of  laugh- 
ter— although,  at  the  time,  I  did  not  regard  it  as  re- 
markably amusing.  Among  the  wild  animals  most 
common  in  Central  America,  is  the  peccary,  some- 
times called  "  Mexican  hog,"  but  best  known  by 
the  Spanish  name  of  Savalino.  There  is  another 
animal,  something  similar  to  the  peccary,  supposed 
to  be  the  common  hog  run  wild,  called  Javalino  by 
the  Spaniards,  and  Waree  by  the  Mosquitos.    If  not 


282  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

indigenous,  the  latter  certainly  have  multiplied  to 
an  enormous  extent,  since  they  swarm  all  over  the 
more  thickly- wooded  portions  of  the  country.  They 
closely  resemble  the  wild-boar  of  Europe,  and,  al- 
though less  in  size,  seem  to  be  equally  ferocious. 
They  go  in  droves,  and  are  not  at  all  particular  as 
to  their  food,  eating  ravenously  snakes  and  reptiles 
of  all  kinds.  They  have  also  a  rational  relish  for 
fruits,  and  especially  for  plantains  and  bananas, 
and  would  prove  a  real  scourge  to  the  plantations, 
were  they  always  able  to  break  down  the  stalks  sup- 
porting the  fruit.  Unable  to  do  this,  they  never- 
theless pay  regular  visits  to  the  plantations,  in  the 
hope  of  finding  a  tree  blown  down,  and  of  feasting 
on  the  fallen  clusters. 

With  these  intimations  as  to  their  character  and 
habits,  the  reader  will  be  better  qualified  to  appre- 
ciate* the  incident  alluded  to.  It  was  a  pleasant 
afternoon,  and  I  had  strolled  off  with  my  gun,  in 
the  direction  of  the  plantain-patch,  stopping  occasion- 
ally to  listen  to  the  clear,  flute-like  notes  of  some 
unseen  bird,  or  to  watch  a  brilliant  lizard,  as  it  flashed 
across  the  gray  stones.  Thus  sauntering  carelessly 
along,  my  attention  was  suddenly  arrested  by  a  pe- 
culiar noise,  as  if  of  some  animal,  or  rather  of  many 
animals  engaged  in  eating.  I  stopped,  and  peered 
in  every  direction  to  discover  the  cause,  when  finally 
my  eyes  rested  upon  what  I  at  once  took  to  be  a 
pig  of  most  tempting  proportions.  He  was  moving 
slowly,  with  his  nose  to  the  ground,  as  if  in  search 
of  food.     Without  withdrawing  my  gaze,  I  carefully 


BATTLE     OF     THE     PIGs!  283 

raised  my  gun,  and  fired.  It  was  loaded  with  buck- 
shot, and  although  the  animal  fell,  he  rose  again 
immediately,  and  began  to  make  off.  Of  course  I 
hurried  after  him,  with  the  view  of  finishing  my 
work  with  my  knife — but  I  had  not  taken  ten  steps, 
when  it  appeared  to  me  as  if  every  stick,  stone,  and 
bush  had  been  converted  into  a  pig  !  Hogs  rose  on 
all  sides,  with  bristling  backs,  and  tusks  of  appall- 
ing length.  I  comprehended  my  danger  in  an 
instant,  and  had  barely  time  to  leap  into  the  forks 
of  a  low,  scraggy  tree,  before  they  were  at  its  foot. 
I  shall  never  forget  the  malicious  look  of  their  little 
bead-like  eyes,  as  they  raved  around  my  roosting- 
place,  and  snapped  ineffectually  at  my  heels.  Al- 
though I  felt  pretty  se- 
cure, I  discreetly  clam- 
bered higher,  and,  fixing 
myself  firmly  in  my  seat, 
revenged  myself  by  firing 
a  charge  of  bird-shot  in 
the  face  of  the  savagest  of  „ ,,  ^  _  ,  „  ^  ^ 

O  TIIEWAREE. 

my  assailants.    This  insult 

only  excited  the  brutes  the  more,  and  they  ground 
their  teeth,  and  frothed  around  the  tree  in  a  perfect 
paroxysm  of  porcine  rage. 

I  next  loaded  both  barrels  of  my  gun  with  ball, 
and  deliberately  shot  two  others  through  their 
heads,  killing  them  on  the  spot,  vainly  imagining 
that  thereby  I  should  disperse  the  herd.  But  never 
was  man  more  mistaken.  The  survivors  nosed 
around  their  dead  companions  for  a  moment,  and 


284  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

then  renewed  their  vicious  contemplations  of  my 
position.  Some  squatted  themselves  upon  their 
hams,  as  much  as  to  say  that  they  intended  to 
wait  for  me,  and  were  nowise  in  a  hurry  !  So  I 
loaded  ujd  again,  and  slaughtered  two  more  of  the 
largest  and  most  spiteful.  But,  even  then,  there 
were  no  signs  of  retreat  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  seemed 
to  me  as  if  reenforcements  sprang  out  of  the  ground, 
and  that  my  besiegers  grew  every  moment  more  nu- 
merous ! 

How  long  this  might  have  lasted,  I  am  unpre- 
pared to  say, '  had  not  Antonio,  alarmed  at  my 
rapid  firing,  hastened  to  my  rescue.  No  sooner  did 
my  assailants  catch  sight  of  his  swarthy  figure  than 
they  made  after  him  with  a  vehement  rush.  He 
avoided  them  hy  leaping  upon  a  rock,  and  then  com- 
menced a  most  extraordinary  and  murderous  contest. 
Never  did  a  battalion  of  veteran  soldiers  charge 
upon  an  enemy,  with  more  steadiness  than  those 
wild  pigs  upon  the  Indian.  He  was  armed  with 
only  a  lance,  but  every  blow  brought  down  a  porker. 
Half  alarmed  lest  they  should  finally  overmatch 
him,  I  cheered  his  exploits,  and  kept  up  a  brisk 
fire  by  way  of  a  diversion  in  his  favor.  I  am 
ashamed  to  say  how  many  of  those  pigs  we  killed  ; 
it  is,  perhaps,  enough  to  add,  that  it  was  long  after 
dark  before  the  beasts  made  up  their  minds  to  leave 
us  uneaten.  And  it  was  with  a  decided  sensation 
of  reHef  that  we  heard  them  moving  off,  until  their 
low  grunt  was  lost  in  the  distance. 

At  one  time,  the  odds  were  certainly  against  us, 


DEPARTURE     FROM     THE     TIROLAS.        285 

and  it  seemed  not  improbable  that  the  artist  and 
his  adventures  might  both  come  to  a  pitiful  and  far 
from  a  poetical  end.  But  fortune  favored,  and  my 
faithful  gun  now  hangs  over  my  table  in  boar-tusk 
brackets,  triumphal  trophies  from  that  bloody 
field !  Instead  of  being  eaten,  we  ate,  wherein 
consists  a  difference  ;  but  I  was  ever  after  wary  of 
the  ivaree! 

True  to  his  promise,  on  the  evening  of  the  tenth 
day,  my  Poyer  boy  bounded  into  our  encampment, 
with  a  loud  shout  of  joy.  His  friends  were  behind, 
and  he  said  would  reach  us  in  the  following  after- 
noon. There  were  five  of  them,  sober,  silent  men, 
who  made  their  encampment  apart  from  us,  and 
whom  I  vainly  endeavored  to  engage  in  conversa- 
tion. They  displayed  great  aptness  in  packing  our 
various  articles  in  net-work  sacks,  which  they  car- 
ried on  their  backs,  supported  by  bands  passing 
around  their  foreheads.  They  wore  no  clothes  ex- 
cept the  tournou,  unless  sandals  of  tapir-hide,  and 
a  narrow-brimmed  hat,  braided  of  palm-bark,  fall 
within  that  denomination.  Besides  his  sack,  each 
man  carried  a  peculiar  kind  of  machete,  short  and 
curved  like  a  pruning-hook  ;  only  one  or  two  had 
bows. 

It  was  with  real  regret  that  I  left  our  encamp- 
ment beside  the  bright  pool,  and  abandoned  my  old 
and  now  familiar  canoe,  in  the  sides  of  which,  like 
a  true  Yankee,  I  had  carved  my  name,  and  the 
dates  of  my  adventures.  I  turned  to  look  back 
more   than   once,  as  we   filed   away,  beneath   the 


286  THE    MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

trees,  in  tlie  trail  leading  to  the  mountains.  The 
Indians  led  the  way,  while  Antonio  and  myself 
brought  up  the  rear.  "  El  Moro,"  perched  upon  the 
tallest  pack,  shrieked  and  fluttered  his  wings,  occa- 
sionally scrambling  down  to  take  a  mischievous  bite 
at  the  ear  of  his  Indian  carrier.  Whenever  he  was 
successful  in  accomplishing  this  feat,  he  became 
superlatively  haj)py  and  gleeful.  In  default  of 
ether  amusement,  he  sometimes  suspended  himself 
from  the  netting  by  a  single  claw,  like  a  dead  bird, 
with  drooping  wings  and  danghng  head,  and  then 
suddenly  scrambled  back  again  to  his  perch,  with 
triumphant  screams.  He  was  a  rare  rollicking  bird, 
that  same  Moro  I 

For  the  first  day  our  course  followed  a  line  nearly 
parallel  with  the  base  of  the  mountains,  through  a 
thick  and  tangled  forest.  We  crossed  innumerable 
small  and  rapid  streams  of  the  clearest  water,  spark- 
ling over  beds  of  variously-colored  quartz  pebbles — 
for  we  were  now  skirting  one  of  the  great  ranges  of 
primitive  rocks,  which  form  the  nucleus  of  the  con- 
tinent. My  long  confinement  in  the  canoe  had  con- 
tributed to  disqualify  me  for  active  exertions,  and 
long  before  night  I  became  much  fagged,  and  would 
fain  have  gone  into  camp.  But  the  Indians  trav- 
eled so  tranquilly  under  their  loads-,  that  I  was  loth 
to  discover  to  them  my  lack  of  endurance,  and  so 
kept  on  without  complaint.  In  the  afternoon  our 
path  began  to  ascend,  and  we  gradually  emerged 
from  the  thick  and  tangled  woods  into  a  compara- 
tively open  forest,  which,   in  turn,   gave  place  to 


THE    MOUNTAIN    SIDE,  287 

groves  of  scattered  pines  and  oaks,  among  which  we 
encamped  for  the  night. 

From  om-  elevated  position  I  could  overlook  the 
wilderness  which  we  had  traversed  dm^ing  the  day. 
It  was  at  that  season  of  the  year  when  the  erythrina 
puts  on  its  scarlet  robe  of  blossoms,  and  the  ceiba 
clothes  itself  in  flames,  in  splendid  r  elief  to  the  pre- 
vailing green.  It  seemed  as  if  Nature  held  high 
holiday  among  these  primeval  solitudes,  and  arrayed 
herself  only  to  wanton  in  the  sense  of  her  own 
beauty.  But  while  vegetation  was  thus  lavishly 
luxuriant  in  the  valley,  behind  us  the  mountains 
rose,  stern,  steep,  and  bare.  Vainly  the  dark  pines, 
clinging  to  their  sides,  sought  to  vail  their  flinty 
frown.  Wherever  a  little  shelf  of  the  rocks  sup- 
ported a  scanty  bed  of  soil,  there  the  mountain 
grasses,  and  the  sensitive-plant  with  its  amaranth- 
ine flower,  took  root,  like  kindly  thoughts  in  the 
heart  of  the  hard  and  worldly  man.  From  the 
gnarled  oaks,  and  even  from  the  unfading  pines, 
hung  long  festoons  of  gray  moss,  which  swayed 
sadly  in  the  wind.  And  when  the  night  came  on, 
and  I  lay  down  beside  the  fire,  beneath  their  shade, 
they  seemed  to  murmur  in  a  low  and  mournful 
voice  to  the  passing  breeze,  which,  laden  with  the 
perfume  of  the  valley,  rose  with  downy  wings  to 
bear  its  tributary  incense  to  the  skies. 

Morning  broke,  but  dark  and  gloomily,  and  al- 
though we  resumed  our  march,  directing  our  course 
diagonally  up  the  face  of  the  mountain,  we  were 
obliged  to  stop  before  noon,  and  seek  shelter  under 


288  the"  MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

a  mass  of  projecting  rocks,  from  a  cold,  drizzly  rain, 
wMcli  now  began  to  fall  steadily,  with  every  prom- 
ise of  merging  in  a  protracted  temporal.  The 
clouds  ran  low,  and  drifted  around  and  below  us,  in 
heavy,  cheerless  volumes,  shutting  from  view  every 
object  except  the  j)ines  and  stunted  oaks,  in  their 
gray,  monastic  robes,  now  saturated  and  heavy  from 
the  damp.  Stowing  our  few  valuables  securely  un- 
der the  rocks,  we  lighted  a  fire,  now  acceptable  not 
less  for  its  heat  than  its  companionship.  Its  cheer- 
ful flame,  and  the  sparkle  of  its  embers,  revived 
my  drooping  spirits,  and  helped  to  reconcile  me  to 
the  imprisonment  which  the  temporal  would  be 
sure  to  entail.  I  can  readily  understand  how  fire 
commended  itself  to  the  primitive  man  as  an  em- 
blem of  purity  and  power,  and  became  the  symbol 
of  spirit  and  those  invisible  essences  which  pervade 
the  universe.  God  robed  himself  in  flame  on  Si- 
nai ;  in  tongues  of  flame  the  Spirit  descended  upon 
the  disciples  at  Jerusalem  ;  an  eternal  fire  burned 
upon  the  altars  of  the  virginal  Vesta,  and  in  the 
Persian  Pyi'othea  ;  to  fire  was  committed  the  sacri- 
fice of  propitiation,  and  by  its  ordeal  was  innocence 
and  purity  made  manifest.  Among  the  American 
Indians  it  was  held  in  especial  reverence.  The 
Delawares  and  the  Iroquois  had  festivals  in  its 
honor,  and  regarded  it  as  the  first  parent  of  the  In- 
dian nations.  The  Cherokees  paid  their  devotions 
to  the  "  great,  beneficent,  supreme,  holy  Spirit  of 
Fire,"  whose  home  was  in  the  heavens,  but  who 
dwelt  also  on  earth,  in  the  hearts  of  "  the  unpol- 


ANOTHER    TEMPORAL.  289 

luted  people."  And  even  the  rade  Indians  who 
huddled  with  me  beneath  the  protecting  rocks  in 
the  heart  of  the  wilderness,  never  commenced  their 
simple  meals  without  first  throwing  a  small  portion 
of  their  food  in  the  fire,  as  an  offering  to  the  pro- 
tecting Spirit  of  Life,  of  which  it  is  the  genial 
symbol. 

The  temporal  lasted  for  three  days,  during  which 
time  it  rained  almost  incessantly,  and  it  was  withal 
so  cold,  that  a  large  and  constant  fire  was  necessary 
to  our  comfort.  At  the  end  of  that  time  the  clouds 
began  to  lift,  and  the  sun  broke  through  the  rifts, 
and  speedily  dispersed  the  watery  legions.  But  the 
rocks  were  slippery  with  the  wet,  and  the  earth, 
wherever  it  was  found  among  the  rocks,  was  sodden 
and  unstable,  rendering  our  advance  alike  disagree- 
able and  dangerous.  We  remained,  therefore,  until 
the  morning  of  the  fourth  day,  when  we  resumed 

our  march. 

13 


litkitjifrrXU 


.x-^^ 
v-.^ 


fl 


OK  a  day  and  a  half  we  continued 
to  ascend,  now  skirting  dizzy  pre- 
cipices, and  next  stealing  along 
cautiously  beneath  beetling  rocks, 
which  hung  heavily  on  the  brow  of  the  mountain. 
The  features  of  the  great  valley  which  we  had  left 
were  no  longer  distinguishable.  What  we  had  re- 
garded as  mountains  there,  now  shrunk  into  simple 
undulations,  like  folds  in  some  silken  robe,  thrown 
loosely  on  the  ground.  There  was  no  longer  a  foot- 
hold for  the  pines,  and  their  j^laces  were  supplied 
by  low  bushes,  thrusting  their  roots  deep  in  the 
clefts,  and  clinging  like  vines  to  the  faces  of  the 
rocks. 

Finally,  to  my  great  joy,  we  reached  the  crest  of 
the  mountain.      Upon  the  north,  however,  it  fell 


MOUNTAIN     SCENEKY,  291 

away  in  a  series  of  broad  steps  or  terraces,  lower 
and  lower,  until,  in  the  dim  distance,  it  subsided  in 
the  vast  alluvial  plains  bordering  on  the  Bay  of 
Honduras,  the  waters  of  which  could  be  distin- 
guished, like  a  silver  rim,  on  the  edge  of  the  hori- 
zon. 

The  air,  on  these  high  ]Dlateaus,  was  chill,  and 
only  the  hardy  mountain-grasses  and  the  various 
forms  of  cactus  found  root  in  their  thin  and  sterile 
soil.  The  latter  were  numerous  and  singular. 
Some  appeared  above  the  earth,  simple,  fluted 
globes,  radiating  with  spines,  and  having  in  their 
centre  a  little  tuft  of  crimson  flowers.  Others  were 
mere  articulated  prisms,  tangled  in  clumps,  and 
also  bristling  with  prickles.  But  the  variety,  known 
in  Mexico  as  the  nopal,  was  most  abundant,  and 
grew  of  tree-like  proportions. 

Few  as  were  these  forms  of  vegetable  hfe,  ani- 
mals and  birds  were  fewer  still.  An  occasional  deer 
contemplated  us  at  a  distance,  and  a  little  animal, 
similar  to  the  prairie-dog  of  the  West,  tumbled 
hurriedly  into  his  hole  as  we  approached  his  soli- 
tary covert.  In  places,  the  disintegrated  quartz 
rock  appeared  above  the  surface  for  wide  distances, 
reflecting  back  the  rays  of  the  sun,  which  seemed 
to  j)Our  down  with  unwonted  and  blinding  bril- 
liancy, from  a  cloudless  sky.  I  could  scarcely  com- 
prehend the  sudden  change  from  the  region  of  the 
lagoons,  where  the  overladen  earth  sweltered  be- 
neath  forests  teeming  with  life,  and  the  air  was  op- 
pressed with  the  cloying  odors  of  myriads  of  flowers. 


292  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE, 

and  this  stern  region,  ribbed  with  rock,  where  Na- 
ture herself  seemed  paralyzed,  and  silence  held  an 
eternal  reign. 

It  was  a  singular  spectacle,  that  little  troop  of 
ours,  as  it  hurried  rapidly  across  these  mountain 
wastes,  or  huddled  closely  together,  when  night 
came  on,  around  a  scanty  fire,  made  of  wood  which 
the  Poyer  boy,  with  wise  prevision,  had  deposited 
there,  on  his  return  to  the  Tirolas.  As  we  descended 
from  terrace  to  terrace,  we  came  again  into  the  region 
of  })ines  and  oaks,  which,  in  their  turn,  gave  place 
to  forests  of  other  varieties  of  trees,  interrupted  by 
strips  of  open  or  savannah  lands.  We  early  struck 
a  little  stream,  which,  I  observed,  we  followed  con- 
stantly. It  proved  to  be  the  branch  of  the  great 
river  Patuca,  upon  which  the  Poyer  village  is  sit- 
uated, and  bore  the  musical  name  of  Guallambre. 
At  night,  when  we  encamped,  the  Poyer  boy  took  a 
calabash,  and,  motioning  to  me  to  follow,  led  the 
way  down  the  stream  to  a  little  sand-bar.  Scoop- 
ing up  some  of  the  sand  in  his  bowl,  and  then  fill- 
ing it  with  water,  he  whirled  it  rapidly,  so  that  a 
feathery  stream  of  mingled  sand  and  water  flew 
constantly  over  its  edge.  He  continued  this  opera- 
tion until  the  sand  was  nearly  exhausted,  and  then 
filled  the  bowl  again.  After  repeating  this  process 
several  times,  he  grew  more  careful,  balancing  the 
bowl  skillfully,  and  stopping  occasionally  to  pick 
out  the  pebbles,  which,  owing  to  their  weight,  had 
not  been  carried  over  by  the  water. 

I  understood  at  once  that  this  was  the  primitive 


WASHING     GOLD,  293 

mode  of  washing  gold,  and  was,  therefore,  not 
greatly  surprised  when,  after  the  process  was  com- 
plete, the  Poyer  showed  me  a  little  deposit  of  gold, 
in  grains,  at  the  bottom  of  the  calabash,  equal  to 
about  a  fourth  of  an  ounce  in  weight.  He  then 
told  me  that  all  the  streams,  flowing  down  the 
mountains  toward  the  north,  carried  gold  in  their 
sands,  and  that  the  latter  were  frequently  washed 
by  his  people,  to  obtain  the  means  of  purchasing 
such  articles  of  civilized  manufacture  as  they  might 
need  from  the  Spaniards  of  Olancho,  and  the  trad- 
ers who  visited  the  coast,* 

On  the  eighth  day  from  our  encampment  on  the 
Tirolas,  after  a  laborious  march  among  heavily- 
wooded  hills,  following,  for  most  of  the  distance, 
the  bed  of  the  Guallambre,  now  swollen  to  a  con- 
siderable stream,  we  reached  the  Poyer  village.  I 
say  village,  for  such  it  was,  in  fact,  although  com- 
posed of  but  a  single  house  !  This  was  a  substan- 
tial structure,  forty  paces  in  length,  and  ten  broad, 
supported  on  stout  posts,  and  heavily  thatched  with 
palm-leaves.     The  front  and  ends  were  open,  but 

*  The  whole  district  of  country  lying  on  the  north  flank  of  the 
mountains  which  bound  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Wanks,  in  the  same 
direction,  enjoys  a  wide  celebrity  for  its  rich  deposits  of  gold.  There 
is  hardly  a  stream  of  which  the  sands  do  not  yield  a  liberal  propor- 
tion of  that  precious  metal.  Yet,  strange  to  say,  the  washing  is 
confined  almost  exclusively  to  the  Indians,  who  seek  to  obtain  no 
more  than  is  just  sufficient  to  supply  their  limited  wants.  Among 
the  reduced,  or,  as  they  are  called,  christianized  Indians,  in  the 
valley  of  Olancho,  the  women  only  wash  the  gold  for  a  few  hours  on 
Sunday  morning.  "With  the  supply  thus  obtained,  they  proceed  to 
the  towns,  attend  mass,  and  make  their  petty  purchases,  devoting 
the  rest  of  the  week  to  the  fullest  enjoyment  of  the  dolce  fwr  nienU. 


294  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

along  the  back  extended  a  series  of  little  apart- 
ments, separated  from  each,  other  by  partitions  of 
the  outer  shells  of  the  cabbage-palm,  which,  when 
split  and  pressed  flat,  make  good  substitutes  for 
boards.  These  were  the  dormitories,  or  private 
apartments  of  the  mated  or  married  occuj)ants,  and 
of  the  girls.  The  places  for  the  boys  were  on  ele- 
vated platforms,  beneath  the  roof.  A  row  of  stones, 
set  firmly  in  the  ground,  defined  the  outline  of  the 
building.  Within  them  the  earth  was  elevated  a 
foot  or  more,  to  preserve  it  dry  and  unaffected  by 
the  rains.  The  position  was  admirably  chosen,  on 
a  kind  of  step  or  shelf  of  a  considerable  hill,  which 
rose  behind,  clothed  with  dense  verdure,  while  in 
front  it  subsided  rapidly  to  the  stream,  here  tum- 
bling noisily  among  the  rocks,  and  yonder  circling, 
bubble-sprinlded,  in  dark  pools,  beneath  the  trees. 
The  ground  around  was  beaten  smooth  and  hard, 
and  numbers  of  tamed  curassows  stalked  to  and  fro, 
gravely  elevating  and  depressing  their  crests  ;  while 
within  the  building,  and  on  its  roof,  numerous 
parrots  and  macaws  waddled  after  each  other,  or 
exercised  then*  voices  in  loud  and  discordant  cries. 
There  were  also  a  few  pigs  and  ducks,  all  appearing 
to  be  as  much  at  home  beneath  the  roof,  as  were 
the  naked  Indian  babies,  with  whom  they  mingled 
on  terms  of  perfect  equality. 

My  boy  had  gone  ahead,  and  had  returned  to 
meet  us  in  company  with  two  old  men,  who  were 
the  lawgivers  of  the  establishment,  and  who  rever- 
entially touched  my  knee  with  their  foreheads,  by 


THE     POYER     VILLAGE,  297 

way  of  salutation.  They  said  but  a  single  word, 
which  I  suppose  was  one  of  welcome,  and  then  led 
the  way  silently  to  the  house.  At  one  end  a  space 
had  been  recently  fenced  off,  containing  two  new 
crickeries,  within  which  my  various  articles  were 
deposited,  and  which  were  at  once  indicated  to  me 
as  my  special  apartment. 

All  the  proceedings  had  been  conducted  so  rapid- 
ly, that  I  was  fauiy  installed  in  my  novel  quarters 
before  I  was  aware  of  it.  Our  arrival  had  evidently 
been  anticipated,  for  almost  immediately  the  women 
brought  us  hot  rolls  of  a  species  of  bread  made  of 
ground  cassava,  baked  in  the  ashes,  with  the  addi- 
tion of  some  stewed  flesh  of  the  loaree,  so  tender 
and  savory  that  it  would  have  commended  itself  to 
a  far  more  fastidious  appetite  than  mine.  I  made 
a  prodigious  meal,  to  the  palpable  satisfaction  of 
my  faithful  Poyer,  who  kept  every  calabash  heaped 
up  with  food. 

As  I  have  said,  the  Indians  of  Central  America 
differ  widely  from  their  fiercer  brethren  of  our  coun- 
try, not  less  in  their  modes  of  life  than  in  all  their 
social  and  civil  relations.  This  Poyer  community 
afforded  an  example  of  a  purely  patriarchal  organi- 
zation, in  which  the  authority  of  paternity  and  of 
age  was  recognized  in  the  fullest  degree.  Every 
evening  the  old  men,  each  taking  a  lighted  brand, 
gathered  within  a  small  circle  of  stones,  at  one 
corner  of  the  house,  and  there  deliberated  upon  the 
affairs  of  the  community,  and  settled  its  proceedings 
for  the  following  day.     In  these  conferences  neither 

13* 


2&8  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE, 

the  women  nor  young  men  were  permitted  to  take 
part.  All  the  labor  of  the  community  was  per- 
formed in  common,  and  all  shared  equally  in  the 
results.  In  one  or  two  of  the  recesses  which  I  have 
described,  were  some  ancient  and  helpless  crones, 
who  were  treated  with  all  the  care  and  tenderness 
of  children.  The  whole  establishment,  according  to 
the  best  of  my  count,  consisted  of  about  one  hun- 
dred and  forty  persons,  young  and  old,  of  whom 
thirty-five  were  full-grown  men. 

In  figure  the  Foyers  or  Payas  are  identical 
with  the  Towkas  and  Woolwas,  except  more  mus- 
cular— the  consequence,  probably,  of  their  cooler 
climate  and  severer  labor.  The  women  were  less 
shy,  perhaps  from  their  more  social  mode  of  living. 
In  common  with  those  of  the  coast,  they  go  naked 
to  the  waist,  whence  depends  a  sku't  of  striped 
cotton  cloth,  reaching  to  the  knees.  Their  hair  is 
invariably  parted  in  front,  and  held  in  place  by  a 
cotton  band,  bound  tightly  around  the  forehead. 
They  were  always  occupied.  Some,  squatting  on 
the  ground,  spun  the  native  cotton,  of  which  all 
the  Indians  raise  small  quantities,  while  others 
wove  it  into  cloth.  Both  processes  were  rude  but 
ingenious.  The  spindle  consists  of  a  small  ball  of 
heavy  wood,  through  which  passes  a  thin  shaft,  the 
whole  resembling  an  overgrown  top,  the  lower  end 
resting  in  a  calabash,  to  prevent  it  from  toppHng 
over.  Some  of  the  cotton  is  attached  to  this  spin- 
dle, which  is  t^vii'led  between  the  thumb  and  fore- 
finsrer.     While  it  is  in  motion  the  thread  is  care- 


POYER     PRACTICES.  299 

fully  drawn  out  from  a  pile  of  cotton  in  the  lap  of 
the  spinner.  When  it  stops  the  thread  is  wound  on 
the  sj)indle,  and  the  same  process  rej)eated.  The 
process  of  weaving  was  certainly  a  simple  one,  but 
after  several  unsatisfactory  attempts  to  describe  it, 
I  am  obliged  to  confess  my  inability  to  do  so,  in  an 
intelligible  manner. 

But  a  princijDal  occupation  of  the  women  was  the 
grinding  of  maize  for  tortillas,  and  of  preparing  the 
cassava.  For  these  purposes  there  were  a  number 
of  flat  stones  elevated  on  blocks,  which  were  called 
by  the  Mexican  name  of  metlatJ.  These  were  some- 
what concave  on  the  upper  surface,  in  which  fitted 
a  stone  roller,  worked  by  hand.  With  this  the 
maize  was  speedily  ground  to  a  fine  consistence  ; 
the  paste  was  then  made  into  small  cakes,  which 
were  baked  rapidly  on  broad  earthen  platters,  sup- 
ported over  brisk  fires.  The  cakes  require  to  be 
eaten  when  crisp  and  hot,  in  order  to  be  relished  ; 
for  when  cold  they  become  heavy  and  tasteless. 
Upon  these  stones  they  also  crushed  the  stalks  of 
the  indigenous  sugar-cane  to  extract  the  juice, 
which,  mixed  with  powdered  wild-cacao,  is  allowed 
to  ferment,  constituting  an  agreeable  and  exhili- 
rating  beverage,  called  ulung. 

Every  morning  all  the  girls  went  down  to  the 
stream  to  bathe,  which  they  did  without  any  over- 
strained afiectation  of  modesty  ;  but  the  mothers 
and  old  women  always  sought  a  sj^ot  secluded  from 
the  general  gaze.  It  was  only  when  thus  engaged 
that  the  girls  were  at  all  playful.     They  dashed  the 


300  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

water  in  each  others'  faces,  and  sought  to  drag  each 
other  under  the  surface,  in  the  deep  pools,  where 
they  swam  about  as  mermaids  are  supposed  to  do, 
and  as  if  the  water  was  their  native  element.  At 
all  other  times  they  were  as  distant  and  demure  as 
the  daintiest  damsels  in  all  New  England. 

The  Poyers  are  certainly  a  provident  people. 
Although  there  were  no  signs  of  plantations  in  the 
vicinity  of  their  establishments,  yet,  at  various 
points  in  the  neighborhood,  where  there  occurred 
patches  of  rich  interval  land,  were  small  fields  of 
sugar-cane,  plantains,  squashes,  maize,  yucas,  and 
cassava,  all  protected  by  fences,  and  attended  with 
the  utmost  care.  From  every  beam  of  the  house 
depended  bunches  of  plantains  and  bananas,  huge 
yams,  and  dried  flesh  of  various  kinds,  but  chiefly 
that  of  the  luaree,  while  closely  packed,  on  plat- 
forms under  the  roof,  were  a  few  bales  of  sarsapa- 
rilla,  which  I  found  they  were  accustomed  to  carry 
down  to  the  coast  for  purposes  of  barter. 

The  Poyers  or  Payas,  as  I  have  intimated,  are 
eminently  agriculturists,  and  although  they  some- 
times follow  the  chase,  it  is  not  as  a  principal 
means  of  support.  Nor  is  it  followed  from  any  fan- 
tastic notion  of  excitement  or  adventure,  but  in  a 
direct  and  downright  manner,  which  is  the  very 
reverse  of  what  is  called  "  sport."  I  had  an  exam- 
ple of  this  in  their  mode  of  fishing,  which  quite 
astonished  all  my  previous  notions  on  that  subject, 
and  which  evinced  to  me  furthermore,  that  fishes, 
although  cold-blooded,  are  not  exempt  from  having 


NEW     MODE     OF     FISHING.  801 

their  heads  turned,  provided  they  are  approached  in 
a  proper  manner. 

My  Poyer  boy,  who  was  unwearying  in  his  devices 
to  entertain  and  interest  me,  one  day  conceived  a 
brilHant  idea,  which  he  hastened  to  communicate  to 
the  old  men,  who  held  a  sober  monexico,  or  council 
upon  it,  and  resolved  that  there  should  be  made  a 
grand  demonstration  upon  the  fish,  for  the  double 
purpose  of  amusing  the  stranger,  and  of  replenish- 
ing the  supplies.  The  resolution,  taken  at  night, 
was  carried  into  execution  in  the  morning.  While 
a  portion  of  the  men  proceeded  down  the  stream  to 
construct  a  temjDorary  wier  of  boughs,  others  col- 
lected a  large  quantity  of  a  species  of  vine  called 
bequipe,  which  is  common  in  the  woods,  has  a  rank 
growth,  is  full  of  juice,  and  emits  a  pungent  odor. 
These  vines  were  cut  in  sections,  crushed  between 
stones,  and  placed  in  large  earthen  pots,  left  to 
steep,  over  a  slow  fire. 

I  watched  all  the  operations  with  curious  interest. 
About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  they  were  com- 
pleted ;  the  pots  containing  the  decoctions  were 
duly  shouldered,  and  we  all  started  up  the  stream. 
At  the  distance  of  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  we 
met  a  number  of  men  wading  down  the  channel, 
and  beating  the  water  with  long  poles,  by  way  of 
concentrating  the  fish  in  the  direction  of  the  wiers. 
Here  the  pots  were  simultaneously  emptied  in  the 
stream,  which  the  contents  tinged  of  a  brownish 
hue.  Up  to  this  moment,  the  various  preparations 
had  greatly  puzzled  me,  but  now  I  discovered  that 


302  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

the  purpose  of  the  decoction  was  to  poison,  or  rather 
to  intoxicate  the  fish,  which  it  did  effectively  ;  for, 
as  we  proceeded  down  the  stream,  numbers  rose 
struggling  to  the  surface,  vainly  endeavoring  to  stem 
the  current,  which  swept  them  toward  the  wiers. 

At  every  step  they  became  more  numerous,  until 
the  whole  stream  was  thronged  with  them.  Some 
were  quite  stupefied,  and  drifted  along  helplessly, 
while  others  made  spasmodic  efforts  to  resist  the 
potent  influence  of  the  hequipe.  But,  sooner  or 
later,  they  too  drifted  down,  with  a  faint  wagging 
of  their  tails,  which  seemed  to  express  that  they 
fairly  "  gave  it  up," 

The  wier  had  been  built  at  the  foot  of  a  consid- 
erable pool,  which  was  literally  covered  with  the 
stupefied  fishes.  There  were  many  varieties  of 
them,  and  the  Indians  stationed  at  that  point  were 
already  engaged  in  picking  out  the  largest  and 
best,  tossing  the  others  over  the  wier,  to  recover 
their  senses  at  their  leisure,  in  the  clear  water  be- 
low. As  soon  as  the  fish  were  thrown  ashore,  they 
were  taken  charge  of  by  the  women,  who  cleaned 
them  on  the  spot,  and  with  wonderful  dexterity. 
They  were  afterward  taken  to  the  house,  rubbed 
with  salt,  and  smoke-dried  over  fires,  after  the  man- 
ner which  I  have  already  described,  as  practiced  by 
the  Sambos  at  Pearl  Cay  Lagoon. 

It  would  naturally  be  supposed  that  a  decoction 
so  powerful  as  to  affect  the  water  of  a  large  stream, 
would  also  damage  the  fish,  and  unfit  them  for 
food.     But  such  is  not  the  case.     The  effect  seems 


GROWING     FANCIES.  303 

to  be  precisely  that  of  temporary  intoxication,  and 
th.e  fish,  if  left  in  the  water,  would  soon  recover 
from  its  influence. 

Time  passed  pleasantly  among  the  hospitable 
Poyers,  and  I  was  treated  with  such  ceremonious 
deference  and  respect,  that  I  began  to  think  that  a 
far  worse  fortune  might  befall  me,  than  that  of  be- 
coming a  member  of  this  peaceful  and  prosperous 
community,  on  the  banks  of  the  Guallambre,  In 
fact,  I  finally  detected  myself  speculating  upon  the 
possibility  of  promoting  one  of  the  dark  Naiads, 
whom  I  every  morning  watched  sporting  in  the 
river,  to  the  occupancy  of  the  vacant  crickery  in 
my  apartment.  And  then  the  fact  that  there  were 
two  crickeries — was  not  that  intended  as  a  delicate 
suggestion  on  the  part  of  the  Poyers,  whose  ideas 
of  hospitality  might  be  less  circumscribed  than  my 
own  ?  The  thought  that  they  might  imagine  me 
dull  of  apprehension,  and  slow  to  improve  upon  a 
hint,  grew  upon  me  with  every  new  and  nearer  con- 
templation of  the  Naiads,  and  I  began  seriously  to 
think  of  submitting  a  formal  proposition  on  the 
subject,  to  the  monexico.  But  men's  fates  often 
hinge  upon  trifling  circumstances,  and  had  I  not 
detected  a  deepening  shadow  of  anxiety  on  the  face 
of  Antonio,  I  might  have  become  a  patriarch  in 
Poyerdom  !     Who  knows  ? 

Early  after  our  arrival  at  the  Poyer  village,  I  was 
surprised  to  observe  Antonio  in  close  consultation 
with  the  old  men,  in  the  nightly  monexico.  They 
seemed  to  be  deeply  interested  in  his  communica- 


304  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

tions,  and  I  imagined  tliat  they  became  daily  more 
thoughtful.  But  now,  whatever  purpose  Antonio 
might  have  had  in  view,  it  appeared  to  have  been 
accomplished. 

So,  one  evening,  I  called  him  aside,  and  an- 
nounced that  I  was  ready  to  depart.  He  grasped 
my  hand,  pressed  it  to  his  heart,  and  said,  in  a  tone 
of  emotion — "  The  voice  of  the  tiger  is  loud  in  the 
mountain,  and  the  sons  of  the  Holy  Men  are  wait- 
ing by  the  lake  of  the  Itzaes  \" 

I  comprehended  the  latent  meaning  of  these 
poetical  words,  for  I  had  already  seen  enough  of 
Antonio  to  discover  that  his  absence  from  Yucatan 
was  in  some  way  connected  with  a  concerted  move- 
ment of  the  aborigines,  and  that  now  some  crisis 
was  approaching  which  drew  him  irresistibly  to- 
ward his  native  land.  Resolved  not  to  be  instru- 
mental in  delaying  him  for  an  hour  unnecessarily, 
and  half  repenting  that  I  had  detained  him  so 
long — for  his  attachment  and  gratitude  were  too 
real  to  permit  him  to  abandon  me  in  the  wilder- 
ness— I  at  once  communicated  my  intention  of 
leaving  to  the  old  men.  They  took  it  under  serious 
deliberation,  which  resulted  in  their  dispatching 
some  men  before  daybreak,  on  the  following  morn- 
ing, to  prepare  a  canoe  for  our  descent  of  the 
Patuca.  The  canoes,  I  found,  were  not  kept  on  the 
Guallambre,  for  two  reasons  :  first,  that  its  course  is 
circuitous,  and  second,  and  principally,  because  it 
runs  through  the  settlements  of  the  Spaniards  of 
Olancho,  with  whom  the  Indians  avoid  all  relations 


DEPARTURE     FOR     THE     COAST.  305 

which,  are  not  absolutely  necessary.  Their  boats 
were  therefore  kept  half  a  day's  journey  distant,  be- 
yond a  chain  of  high  hills,  on  a  large  tributary  of 
the  Patuca,  called  Amacwass. 

I  verily  believe  I  would  have  been  a  welcome 
guest  among  my  Poyer  friends,  so  long  as  I  might 
have  chosen  to  remain  ;  yet  they  did  not  urge  me  to 
stay,  but  hastened  to  help  me  off,  as  if  my  intima- 
tions were  to  be  regarded  as  commands. 

During  the  day  a  large  quantity  of  provisions 
were  dispatched  to  the  boat,  and  at  night  the 
monexico  selected  two  men,  and  my  old  companion 
the  Poyer  boy,  to  accompany  us  to  the  coast.  We 
took  our  departure  early  in  the  morning,  wliile  it  was 
yet  dark,  without  creating  the  slightest  disturbance 
in  the  establishment.  Only  the  old  men,  who  had 
come  out  to  meet  us  two  weeks  before,  now  went 
ahead  with  large  brands  of  fire,  to  light  the  way  ; 
but,  when  the  day  broke,  they  again  touched  their 
foreheads  to  my  knee,  and  returned,  leaving  us  to 
prosecute  our  journey  alone. 

We  reached  the  Amacwass  in  the  afternoon,  and 
found  a  boat,  twice  as  large  as  the  canoe  in  which 
we  had  navigated  the  lagoons,  all  prej)ared  for  in- 
stant departure.  A  space  near  the  middle  was  cov- 
ered with  a  thatch  of  palm  branches,  to  protect  me 
from  the  sun,  and  altogether  it  promised  a  degree 
of  comfort  and  convenience  to  which  I  had  been  a 
stranger,  in  my  previous  voyagings. 

We  embarked  at  once,  and  dropped  rapidly  down 
with  the  current,  the  Indians  only  using  their  pad- 


800  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

dies  to  direct  the  boat,  and  keep  it  clear  of  the 
rocks  which  obstructed  the  channel.  The  water 
was  wonderfully  clear,  every  where  revealing  the 
bottom  with  the  greatest  distinctness.  The  banks 
were  covered  with  a  heavy  forest,  in  which  the  eye 
wa^  often  arrested  by  the  stately  forms  of  the  ma- 
hogany-tree, with  its  massive  foliage,  rising  high 
above  the  general  level ;  or  by  the  still  taller  and 
more  graceful  plumes  of  the  palmetto-royal.  Vege- 
tation seemed  to  have  a  more  vigorous,  but  less  re- 
dundant life,  than  on  the  Mosquito  Shore  ;  that  is 
to  say,  it  assumed  more  compact  and  more  decided 
forms,  occasioned,  probably,  by  the  comparative  ab- 
sence of  jungle,  not  less  than  by  peculiarities  of  soil. 

There  was  something  exhilarating  in  our  rapid 
course  ;  and  the  voice  of  the  waters,  here  murmur- 
ing over  a  pebbly  bottom,  and  yonder  breaking 
hoarsely  over  the  obstructing  rocks,  reminded  me  of 
my  distant  New  England  home,  and  recalled  the 
happy  hours  which  I  had  spent  in  the  sole  compan- 
ionship of  its  merry  mountain  streams.  It  was, 
after  all,  by  the  standard  of  my  youthful  experi- 
ences, that  I  measured  my  present  enjoyments ; 
and  it  was  rare  indeed,  even  in  my  most  cheerful 
moods,  that  the  comparison  was  favorable  to  the 
latter.  The  senses  blunted  by  years,  and  the  mem- 
ory crowded  with  events,  fails  to  appreciate  so  keenly 
or  record  so  deeply,  the  experiences  of  middle  life, 
and  pure  happiness,  after  all,  dwells  chiefly  in  the 
remembrance  of  the  distant  past. 

As  soon  as  the  shadows  of  evening  began  to  settle 


''THE     GATEWAY     OF     HELL."  807 

over  the  narrow  valley  of  the  Amacwass,  we  halted, 
and  made  our  camp,  maintaining  throughout  the 
night  a  great  fire,  not  less  for  its  cheerful  influences 
than  for  protection  against  the  fierce  black  tigers,  or 
pumas,  which  abound  on  this  flank  of  the  moun- 
tains. We  heard  their  screams,  now  near,  now 
distant,  to  which  the  monkeys  responded  with 
alarmed  and  anxious  cries,  so  like  those  of  human 
beings  in  distress,  as  more  than  once  to  startle  me 
from  my  slumbers.  These  caricatures  on  humanity 
seemed  to  be  more  numerous  here  than  further 
down  the  coast,  and  we  often  saw  large  troops  of 
them  in  the  overhanging  trees,  where  they  gravely 
contemplated  us  as  we  drifted  by.  Occasionally 
one,  more  adventurous  than  the  rest,  would  slide 
down  a  dependent  limb  or  vine,  scold  at  us  vehe- 
mently for  a  moment,  and  then  scramble  back  again 
hurriedly,  as  if  alarmed  at  his  own  audacity. 

On  the  second  day  the  cuiTent  of  the  Amacwass 
became  more  gentle,  and  just  before  night  we  shot 
out  of  its  waters  into  the  large  and  comparatively 
majestic  Patuca.  Our  course  down  this  stream  was 
not  so  rapid.  In  places  the  current  was  so  sHght 
that  it  became  necessary  to  use  our  paddles  ;  while 
elsewhere  the  greatest  caution  was  requisite  to  guide 
our  boat  safely  over  the  numerous  cJiiJlones  or  rapids 
by  which  it  was  interrupted.  But  these,  though 
difficult,  and  in  some  instances  dangerous,  sunk  into 
insignificance  when  compared  with  what  is  called 
El  Portal  del  Infierno,  or  the  "  Gateway  of  Hell." 
My  Poyer  boy  had  several  times  alluded  to  it,  as 


308  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

infinitely  more  to  be  dreaded  than  any  of  the  passes 
which  we  had  yet  encountered,  and  as  one  which 
would  be  likely  to  excite  my  alarm. 
.  We  reached  it  on  the  day  after  we  had  entered 
the  Patuca.  As  we  advanced,  the  hills  began  to 
approach  each  other,  and  high  rocks  shut  in  the 
river  U2:ion  both  sides.  Huge  detached  masses  also 
rose  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  around  which  the 
water  whirled  and  eddied  in  deep,  dark  gulfs,  suck- 
ing down  the  frayed  and  shattered  trunks  of  trees, 
from  which  the  branches  had  long  before  been  torn 
by  rude  contact  with  the  rocks,  only  to  reject  them 
again  from  their  depths,  far  below.  The  velocity 
of  our  boat  increased,  and  I  became  apprehensive  in 
view  of  the  rushing  current  and  rocky  shores  ;  nor 
was  the  feeling  diminished,  when  the  men  com- 
menced to  lash  the  various  articles  contained  in  the 
boat  by  thongs  to  its  sides,  since  that  precaution 
implied  a  possibility  of  our  being  overset.  Antonio 
urged  me  to  strip,  which  I  did,  in  preparation  for  the 
worst  contingency.  Meanwhile  the  stream  narrowed 
more  and  more,  and  the  rocks  towered  higher  and 
higher  above  our  heads.  The  water  no  longer  dashed 
and  chafed  against  the  shores,  but,  dark  and  glassy, 
shot  through  the  narrow  gorge  with  a  low  hissing 
sound,  more  fearful  than  its  previous  turbulence.  I 
involuntarily  held  my  breath,  grasping  firmly  the 
sides  of  the  boat,  and  watching  anxiously  the  dark 
forms  of  the  Indians,  as,  silently,  and  with  impas- 
sible features,  they  guided  the  frail  slab  upon  which 
our   lives  depended.      On,   on  we   swept,  between 


PORTAL     DEL     INFIERNO. 


309 


cliffs  so  lofty  and  beetling  as  to  shut  out  the  sun, 
and  involve  us  in  twilight  obscurity.  I  looked  up, 
and,  at  a  dizzy  height, 
could  only  trace  a  nar- 
row strip  of  sky,  like  the 
cleft  in  the  roof  of  some 
deep  cavern.  A  shudder 
ran  through  every  limb. 
and  I  could  well  under- 
stand why  this  terrible 
pass  had  been  named 
the  ''  Mouth  of  Hell  !" 
He  must  have  been  a 
bold  man  who  ventured 
first  within  its  horrid 
jaws  ! 

I  drew  a  long  breath 
of  relief  when  the  chasm 
began  to  widen,  and  the 
current  to  diminish  in 
violence.  But  it  was 
probably  then  that  we 
were  in  the  greatest  dan- 
ger, for  the  bed  of  the 
stream  was  full  of  angu- 
lar rocks  which  had  been 

swept  out  from  the  canon,  to  be  heaped  up  here  in 
wild  disorder.  A  misdirected  stroke  of  a  single 
paddle  would  have  thrown  our  frail  boat  upon 
them,  and  dashed  it  into  a  thousand  pieces. 

Before   night,  however,  we  had  entirely  passed 


GATEWAY     OF     HELL. 


310  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

the  rapids,  and  were  drifting  quietly  over  the 
smooth,  deep  reaches  of  the  river — the  bubbles  on 
its  surface,  and  the  flecks  of  white  foam  clinging  to 
its  banks,  alone  indicating  the  commotion  which 
raged  above. 

There  are  many  legends  connected  with  the 
"  Portal  del  Infierno."  Within  it  the  Indians  im- 
agine there  dwells  a  powerful  spirit,  who  is  some- 
times seen  darting  through  its  gloomiest  recess,  in 
the  form  of  a  large  bird.  That  night,  each  of  the 
Foyers  poured  a  portion  of  his  allowance  of  cliicha 
in  the  stream,  as  a  thank-oftering  to  the  spirit  of 
the  river.  This,  and  the  offerings  made  to  fire, 
were  the  only  religious  rites  which  I  witnessed 
while  in  their  country  ;  but  it  is  not  thence  to  be 
inferred  that  they  are  without  religious  forms,  for 
it  is  precisely  these  that  they  are  most  careful  to 
conceal  from  the  observation  of  the  stranger. 

As  we  proceeded  down  the  river,  and  entered  the 
alluvions  of  the  coast,  both  the  stream  and  its 
banks  underwent  an  entire  change.  The  latter  be- 
came comparatively  low,  and  frequently,  for  long 
distances,  were  wholly  covered  with  feathery  palms, 
unrelieved  by  any  other  varieties  of  trees.  Snags 
and  stranded  logs  obstructed  the  channel,  and  sand- 
bars appeared  here  and  there,  upon  which  the  hid- 
eous alligators  stretched  themselves  in  the  sun,  in 
conscious  security.  Occasionally,  we  observed 
swells  or  ridges  of  savannah  land,  like  those  on  the 
Mosquito  Shore,  supporting  pines  and  acacias. 
But  the  general  character  of  the  country  was  that 


RIO     PATUCA.  311 

of  a  broad  alluvion,  in  places  so  low  as  to  be  over- 
flowed during  floods — rich,  in  soil,  and  adapted  to 
tbe  cultivation  of  all  the  tropical  staples. 

On  the  seventh  day  from  the  Poyer  village,  we 
reached  a  point  where  the  river  divides,  forming  a 
delta,  the  principal  channel  leading  off  to  the  sea 
direct,  and  the  other  conducting  to  a  large  lagoon, 
called  Brus  by  the  Spaniards,  where  the  Caribs  of 
the  coast  have  their  establishments.  We  took  the 
latter,  and  the  Indians  plied  their  paddles  with  in- 
creased energy,  as  if  anxious  to  bring  our  tedious 
voyage  to  a  close. 


LTHOUGH  we  had  previously 
moored  our  boat  with  the  ap- 
proach of  darkness,  yet  this  night 
the  Indians  kept  on  their  course. 
The  river  was  now  wide  and  still,  and  the  banks 
low  and  tropical.  With  the  fading  light  of  day, 
the  sea-breeze  set  in,  fresh  and  pungent,  from  the 
ocean.  Fire-flies  sparkled  like  stars  along  the 
shore,  and  only  the  night-hawk,  swooping  down 
after  its  prey,  startled  the  ear  of  night  with  its 
rushing  pinions. 

The  night  advanced,  and  the  steady  dip  of  the 
paddles  soothed  me  into  a  slumber,  from  which  I 
was  only  roused  by  the  noise  of  drums  and  the 
sound  of  revelry.  I  leaped  up  suddenly,  with  some 
vague  recollections  of  the    orgies   at   Sandy   Bay, 


ARRIVAL  AT  BRUS  LAGOON.      818 

wliich,  however,  were  soon  disj)elled,  and  I  found 
that  we  had  already  passed  Brus  Lagoon,  and  were 
now  close  to  its  northern  shore,  where  the  Carib 
town  is  situated.  There  were  many  lights  and 
fires,  and  shouts  and  laughter  rang  out  from  the 
various  groups  which  were  gathered  around  them. 
I  perceived  at  once  that  some  kind  of  a  festival 
was  going  on,  and  had  some  hesitation  in  ventur- 
ing on  shore.  But  I  was  reassured  by  the  conduct 
of  the  Indians,  who  paddled  the  boat  up  to  the 
beach,  with  the  utmost  confidence.  Before  it 
touched  the  sand,  however,  we  were  hailed  by  some 
one  on  the  shore,  in  a  language  which  I  did  not  un- 
derstand. A  moment  after,  the  hail  was  repeated 
in  another  dialect,  to  which  my  Poyer  boy  re- 
plied, with  some  kind  of  explanation.  "  Advance, 
friend !"  was  the  prompt  response  of  the  chal- 
lenger, who  stepped  into  the  water,  and  lent  a 
hand  to  drag  up  the  canoe. 

I  scrambled  forward,  and  leaped  ashore,  when  I 
was  immediately  addressed  by  the  same  voice  which 
had  hailed  us,  with,  "  Very  welcome  to  Brus  !" 
My  first  impression  was,  that  I  had  fallen  in  with 
Europeans,  but  I  soon  saw  that  my  new  friend  was 
a  pure  Indian.  He  was  dressed  in  white  panta- 
loons and  jacket,  and  wore  a  sash  around  his  waist, 
and,  altogether,  looked  like  a  good  fellow.  He  at 
once  invited  me  to  his  house,  explaining,  as  we 
went  along,  that  the  village  was  in  the  midst  of  a 
festival,  held  annually,  on  the  occasion  of  the  re- 
turn   of    the    mahogany-cutters   from   the   various 

U 


314  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

works,  both  on  this  coast  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Be- 
lize. The  next  day,  he  said,  they  expected  a  large 
reenforcement  of  their  numbers,  and  that  then  the 
festivities  would  be  at  their  height. 

Meantime,  we  had  reached  the  house  of  our  new 
friend,  whose  impromptu  hospitality  I  made  no 
hesitation  in  accepting.  It  was  empty  ;  for  all 
hands  were  occupied  with  the  festival.  Our  host 
stirred  up  the  embers  of  a  fire,  which  were  smoul- 
dering beneath  a  little  roof  in  front  of  the  hut, 
and  hastened  away  to  call  his  family. 

While  I  awaited  his  return,  I  smiled  to  think 
what  a  free  and  easy  way  I  had  contracted  since 
leaving  Jamaica,  of  making  myself  at  home  under 
all  circumstances,  and  with  all  sorts  of  people.  No 
letters  of  introduction,  given  with  hesitation,  and 
received  Avith  doubt.  And  then,  the  happy  excite- 
ment of  an  even  chance  whether  one's  welcome  may 
come  in  the  form  of  a  bullet  or  a  breakfast  !  These 
things  will  do  to  tell  my  friend  Sly,  I  soliloquized, 
and  fell  into  a  revery,  which  was  only  broken  by  the 
return  of  my  host,  accomjoanied  by  one  of  his  wives 
— a  very  pretty  and  well-dressed  Carib  woman,  her 
hair  neatly  braided  on  the  top  of  her  head,  and  stuck 
full  of  flowers.  Although  it  was  now  joast  mid- 
night, she  insisted  on  preparing  something  for  us  to 
eat,  and  then  returned  to  participate  in  the  dances 
and  rejoicings  which  were  going  on  in  the  centre  of 
the  village. 

I  would  have  accompanied  my  host  there  also, 
had  it  not  been  for  an  incident  which,  for  that  night 


AN     ABRUPT     PARTING.  315 

at  least,  banished  my  idle  curiosity.  While  occu- 
pied in  arranging  my  personal  baggage  in  our  new 
quarters,  I  had  observed  my  Poyer  companion 
standing  apart,  and  regarding  me  with  an  earnest 
and  thoughtful  expression.  I  was  several  times  on 
the  point  of  speaking  to  him,  and  as  often  had  my 
attention  diverted  by  other  circumstances.  Finally, 
however,  I  turned  to  seek  him,  but  he  was  gone.  I 
inquired  of  Antonio  what  had  become  of  him,  but 
he  could  give  me  no  information  ;  and,  a  little  con- 
cerned himself,  he  started  for  the  scene  of  the  rev- 
elry, under  the  impression  that  he  might  have  been 
attracted  thither.  He  returned  with  a  hasty  step, 
and  reported  that  neither  the  Poyer  or  his  compan- 
ions were  to  be  found.  We  hurried  to  the  shore, 
where  we  had  left  the  boat,  but  that  also  was  gone. 
The  reader  may,  perhaps,  smile  when  I  say  that  I 
strained  my  eyes  to  j)enetrate  the  darkness,  if  only 
to  catch  one  glimpse  of  my  Poyer  boy  ;  and  that  I 
wept  when  I  turned  back  to  the  village.  And 
when,  on  the  following  day,  as  I  unrolled  my  scanty 
wardrobe,  a  section  of  bamboo-cane,  heavy  with 
gold-dust,  rolled  upon  the  floor,  I  felt  not  only 
that  I  had  lost  a  friend,  but  that  beneath  the 
swarthy  breast  of  that  untutored  Indian  boy  there 
beat  a  heart  capable  of  the  most  delicate  generos- 
ity. Be  sure,  my  faithful  friend,  far  away  in  your 
mountain  home,  that  your  present  shall  never  be 
dishonored  !  Washed  from  the  virginal  sands,  and 
wrought  into  the  symbol  of  our  holy  faith,  it  rests 
above  a  heart  as  constant  as  thine  own  ;  and,  in- 


316  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

scribed  with  the  single  word  "  Fidelity,"  it  shall 
descend  to  my  children,  as  an  evidence  that  Faith 
and  Friendship  are  heavenly  flowers,  perennial  in 
every  clime  ! 

The  Caribs  (who  pronounce  their  own  name  Ca- 
ribees),  those  Dyacks  of  the  Antilles,  had  always 
been  associated  in  my  mind  with  every  thing  that 
was  savage  in  character  and  habits,  and  I  was  as- 
tonished to  find  that  they  had  really  considerable 
pretensions  to  civilization.  It  should  be  observed, 
however,  that  they  are  here  an  intruded  people,  and 
that,  first  and  last,  they  have  had  a  large  associa- 
tion with  the  whites.  They  now  occupy  the  coast 
from  the  neighborhood  of  the  port  of  Truxillo  to 
Carataska  Lagoon,  whence  they  have  gradually  ex- 
pelled the  Sambos  or  Mosquitos.  Their  original 
seat  was  San  Vincent,  one  of  what  are  called  the 
Leeward  Islands,  whence  they  were  dej^orted  in  a 
body,  by  the  English,  in  1798,  and  landed  upon  the 
then  unoccupied  island  of  Roatan,  in  the  Bay  of 
Hondurasr  Their  position  there  was  an  unsatisfac- 
tory one,  and  they  eagerly  accepted  the  invitation 
of  the  Spanish  authorities  to  remove  to  the  main- 
land. 

Positions  were  assigned  them  in  the  vicinity  of 
Truxillo,  whence  they  have  spread  rapidly  to  the 
eastward.  All  along  the  coast,  generally  near  the 
mouths  of  the  various  rivers  with  which  it  is 
fringed,  they  have  their  establishments  or  towns. 
These  are  never  large,  but  always  neat,  and  well 
supplied    with     provisions,    especially    vegetables, 


CARIB     CHARACTER.  317 

which  are  cultivated  with  great  care,  and  of  the 
highest  perfection.  They  grow  rice,  cassava,  sugar- 
cane, a  little  cotton,  plantains,  squashes,  oranges, 
mangoes,  and  every  variety  of  indigenous  fruits, 
besides  an  abundance  of  hogs,  ducks,  turkeys,  and 
fowls,  of  all  of  which  they  export  considerable 
quantities  to  Truxillo,  and  even  to  Belize,  a  dis- 
tance of  several  hundred  miles. 

The  physical  diiferences  which  existed  among 
them  at  San  Vincent  are  still  marked.  Most  are 
pure  Indians,  not  large,  biat  muscular,  with  a  ruddy 
skin,  and  long,  straight  hair.  These  were  called 
the  Ked  or  Yellow  Caribs.  Another  portion  are 
very  dark,  with  curly  hair,  and  betraying  unmistak- 
ably a  large  infusion  of  negro  blood,  and  are  called 
the  Black  Caribs.  They  are  taller  than  the  Red 
Caribs,  and  well-proportioned.  They  contrast  with 
the  latter,  also,  in  respect  of  character,  being  more 
vehement  and  mercurial.  The  pure  Caribs  are  con- 
stant, industrious,  quiet,  and  orderly.  They  all 
profess  the  Catholic  religion,  although  observing 
very  few  of  its  rites,  except  during  their  visits  to 
the  Spanish  towns,  where  all  their  children  are  scru- 
pulously taken  to  be  baptized. 

I  was  agreeably  astonished  when  I  awoke  on  the 
morning  after  om-  arrival  at  Brus,  to  find  a  cup  of 
coffee,  well  served  in  a  china  cup,  awaiting  my  at- 
tentions. And  when  I  got  up,  I  was  still  further 
surprised  to  observe  a  table  spread  with  a  snow- 
white  cloth,  in  the  principal  apartment  of  the 
house,  where  my  host  welcomed  me,  with  a  genuine 


318  THE     MOSgUlTO     SHORE. 

"  good  morning."  I  expressed  my  surprise  at  his 
acquaintance  with  the  English,  which  seemed  to 
flatter  him,  and  he  ran  through  the  same  salutation 
in  Spanish,  Creole-French,  Carib,  and  Mosquito. 
Whereuj)on  I  told  him  he  was  a  "  perambulating 
polyglot,"  which  he  did  n't  understand,  although 
he  affected  to  laugh  at  the  remark. 

I  had  now  an  opportunity  to  make  my  observa- 
tions on  the  village  of  Brus  and  its  peoi:)le.  The 
town  is  situated  on  a  narrow,  sandy  tongue  of  land, 
lying  between  the  sea  and  the  lagoon.  This  strip 
of  land  sujjports  a  magnificent  forest  of  cocoa-palms, 
relieved  only  by  a  few  trees  of  gigantic  size  and 
dense  foliage,  which,  I  suppose,  must  be  akin  to 
the  banyan-tree  of  India,  inasmuch  as  they  send 
down  numerous  stems  or  trunks,  which  take  root 
in  the  ground,  and  support  the  widely-spreading 
branches.  The  establishment  of  my  host,  includ- 
ing his  house  and  the  huts  of  his  various  wives, 
were  all  built  beneath  a  single  tree,  which  had 
thirty-five  distinct  trunks,  besides  the  central  or  pa- 
rent stem.  A  belt  of  miscellaneous  trees  is  also 
left  seaward,  to  break  the  force  of  the  north  wind, 
which  would  otherwise  be  sure  to  destroy  the  palms. 
But  the  underbrush  had  all  been  carefully  removed, 
so  that  both  the  sea  and  the  lagoon  were  visible 
from  aU  parts  of  the  village.  The  design  of  their 
removal  was  the  excellent  one  of  affording  a  free 
circulation  of  air  ;  a  piece  of  sanitary  wisdom 
which  was  supported  by  the  additional  precaution 
of  building  the  huts  open  only  to  the  sea-breeze. 


A     PARAGRAPH     ON     PALMS.  319 

and  closed  against  the  miasmatic  winds  which  blow 
occasionally  from  the  land  side. 

Nothing  could  be  more  beautiful  than  the  palm- 
grove,  with  its  graceful  natural  columns  and  ever- 
green arche.s,  beneath  which  rose  the  picturesque 
huts  of  the  village.  These  were  all  well-built, 
walled,  floored,  and  partitioned,  with  cabbage-palm 
boards,  and  roofed  with  the  branches  of  the  same 
tree.  Episodically,  I  may  repeat  what  has  probably 
often  been  observed  before,  that  the  palm,  in  its 
varieties,  is  a  marvel  of  economic  usefulness  to 
dwellers  under  the  tropics.  Not  only  does  it  present 
him  with  forms  of  enchanting  beauty,  but  it  affords 
him  food,  drink,  and  shelter.  One  variety  yields 
him  excellent  substitutes  for  bread  and  yeast  ;  an- 
other sugar  and  wine  ;  a  third  oil  and  vinegar ;  a 
fourth  milk  and  wax  ;  a  fifth  resin  and  fruit ;  a 
sixth  medicines  and  utensils  ;  a  seventh  weapons, 
cordage,  hats,  and  clothing  ;  and  an  eighth  habita- 
tions and  furniture  ! 

The  plantations  of  the  village,  except  a  few  clus- 
ters of  banana-trees  and  sugar-canes,  on  the  edge 
of  the  lagoon,  were  situated  on  the  islands  of  the 
latter,  or  on  its  southern  shore.  Those  on  the 
islands  were  most  luxuriant,  for  the  principal  reason 
that  they  are  fully  protected  from  the  wild  beasts, 
which  occasionally  commit  extensive  depredations 
on  the  maize,  rice,  and  cassava  fields.  One  of  the 
islands  nearest  the  village,  on  which  my  hostesses 
had  their  plantations,  I  visited  frequently  during  my 
stay.     It  was  a  delicious  spot,  covered  with  a  most 


320  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

luxuriant  growth  of  fruits  and  vegetables.  I  could 
well  understand  wliy  it  had  been  selected  by  the 
English  for  their  settlement,  when  they  sought  to 
establish  themselves  on  the  coast,  during  the  great 
war  with  Spain.  A  partially-obHterated  trench  and 
breast-work,  a  few  iron  guns  half-buried  in  the  soil, 
at  the  most  elevated  portion  of  the  island,  and  one 
or  two  large  iron  cauldrons,  probably  designed  to  be 
used  in  sugar-works,  were  now  the  only  traces  of 
their  ancient  establishments. 

The  lagoon  abounds  in  fish  and  water-fowl,  and 
there  are  some  savannahs,  at  a  considerable  distance 
up  the  Patuca,  and  on  other  streams  flowing  into 
the  lagoon,  which  are  thronged  with  deer.  But  it 
would  seem,  that  these  are  only  occasionally  hunted 
by  the  Caribs,  and  then  chiefly  for  their  skins,  of 
which  large  numbers  are  exported. 

As  I  have  said,  we  arrived  in  Brus  during  the 
annual  carnival,  which  follows  on  the  return  of 
those  members  of  the  community  who  have  been 
absent  in  the  mahogany-works.  It  is  in  these 
works  that  the  able-bodied  Caribs  find  their  princi- 
pal employment.  They  hire  for  from  ten  to  twelve 
dollars  per  month,  and  rations,  receiving  one  half  of 
their  j)ay  in  goods,  and  the  other  half  in  money. 
As  a  consequence,  they  have  among  them  a  great 
variety  of  articles  of  European  manufacture,  selected 
with  a  most  fantastic  taste.  A  Carib  dandy  de- 
lights in  a  closely-fitting  pantaloons,  supported 
by  a  scarlet  sash,  a  jaunty  hat,  encircled  by  a  broad 
band  of  gold  lace,  a  profuse  neck-cloth,  and  a  sword, 


A     CARIB     DANDY,  321 

or  purple  umbrella.  It  is  in  some  such  garb  that 
he  returns  from  the  mahogany-works,  to  delight  the 
eyes  and  affect  the  sensibilities  of  the  Carib  girls  ; 
nor  does  he  fail  to  stuif  his  pockets  with  gay  beads, 
and  ear-rings  and  bracelets  of  hoop-like  dimensions, 
richly  gilt  and  glowing  with  colored  glass,  where- 
with to  follow  up  any  favorable  impression  which 
may  be  produced  by  his  own  resplendent  person. 
He  then  affects  to  have  forgotten  his  Carib  tongue, 
and  finds  himself  constantly  running  into  more  fa- 
mihar  English,  after  the  immemorial  practice  of 
great  and  finished  travelers.  He  scorns  the  native 
chicha  for  the  first  day,  but  overcomes  his  prejudice, 
and  gets  glorious  upon  it  the  next.  In  fact,  he 
enacts  an  unconscious  satire  ujDon  the  follies  of  a 
class,  whose  vanity  would  never  enable  them  to  dis- 
cover the  remotest  possible  parallelism  between 
themselves  and  the  Caribs  *of  Honduras  ! 

During  the  day  several  large  boats  arrived  at 
Brus  from  Limas  and  Roman,  both  of  which  are 
mahogany  stations.  They  all  carried  the  Hondurus 
flag  at  the  topmast,  and  bore  down  on  the  shore 
with  their  utmost  speed,  only  striking  their  sails 
when  on  the  edge  of  the  breakers,  when  the  occupants 
would  all  leap  overboard,  and  thus  float  their  boats 
to  the  shore.  Here,  under  the  shade  of  the  trees, 
all  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  were  gathered. 
They  shouted  and  beat  drums,  and  fired  muskets, 
by  way  of  welcome  to  their  friends,  who  responded 
with  the  whole  power  of  their  lungs.  Here,  too, 
expectant  wives,  affectionate    sisters,  and    anxious 

14" 


322  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

motliers,  spread  out  tables,  loaded  with  food,  fruits, 
bottles  of  rum,  and  jars  of  cMcha,  wherewith  to  re- 
gale husband,  brother,  or  son,  on  the  instant  of  his 
arrival.  It  was  amusing  to  witness  the  rivalry  of 
the  various  wives  of  the  same  anxiously-expected 
husband,  in  their  efforts  to  outvie  each  other  in  the 
arrangement  of  their  respective  tables,  and  the  vari- 
ety of  eatables  and  drinkables  which  they  supported. 
They  were  all  jjarticularly  ambitious  in  their  disjDlay 
of  glass-ware,  and  some  of  them  had  a  profusion  of 
gay,  and,  in  some  instances,  costly  decanters  and 
tumblers.  One  yellow  dame,  with  her  shoulders 
loaded  with  beads  and  but  half-concealed  by  a 
silken  scarf  of  brightest  crimson,  was  complacent 
and  happy  in  the  exclusive  possession  of  a  plated 
wine-server,  which  supported  three  delicately-cut 
bottles  of  as  many  different  colors,  and  filled  with 
an  equal  variety  of  liquore. 

Every  body  drank  with  every  body  on  the  occasion 
of  every  body's  arrival,  a  process  which,  it  may  be 
susj)ected,  might,  by  frequent  repetition,  come  to 
develop  a  large  liberality  of  feeling.  At  noon,  it 
exhibited  itself  in  a  profuse  and  energetic  shaking 
of  hands,  and  toward  night  in  embraces  more  pro- 
longed and  unctious  than  pleasant  or  endurable  to 
one  receiving  his  initiation  in  the  practice.  So  I 
was  fain  to  retire  early  from  the  shore,  although 
enjoying  highly  the  excitement,  iu  which  I  could  not 
fail  to  have  that  kind  of  sympathy  v/hich  every 
manifestation  of  genuine  feeling  is  sure  to  inspire. 
Even  Antonio,  whose  impassible  brow  had  latterly 


SINGULAPv     PRACTICES.  323 

become  anxious  and  thoughtful,  j^artook  of  the  gen- 
eral exhilaration,  and  wore  a  smiling  face. 

I  was  treated  with  great  consideration  by  the 
entire  population,  who  all  seemed  alike  consequen- 
tial and  happy,  when  an  opportunity  was  afforded 
to  them  of  shaking  me  by  the  hand,  and  inquiring, 
"  How  do  you  do  ?" 

As  I  have  intimated,  the  Caribs,  like  the  Mos- 
quitos,  practice  polygamy  ;  but  the  wives  have  each 
a  distinct  establishment,  and  require  a  fair  and 
equal  particij)ation  in  all  of  the  favors  of  their  hus- 
band. If  he  make  one  a  present,  he  is  obliged  to 
honor  all  the  others  in  like  manner ;  and  they  are 
all  equally  ready  to  make  common  cause  against 
him,  in  case  of  infidelity,  or  too  wide  an  exhibition 
of  gallantry.  The  division  of  duties  and  responsi- 
bilities is  rather  extraordinary.  When  a  Carib 
takes  a  wife,  he  is  obliged  to  build  ^her  a  house  .and 
clear  her  a  plantation.  But,  this  done,  she  must 
thenceforth  take  care  of  herself  and  her  offspring  ; 
and  if  she  desire  the  assistance  of  her  husband  in 
planting,  she  is  obliged  to  pay  him,  at  the  rate  of 
two  dollars  per  week,  for  his  services.  And  al- 
though the  husband  generally  accompanies  his 
wives  in  their  trading  excursions  to  Truxillo  and 
elsewhere,  he  carries  no  loads,  and  takes  no  part  in 
the  barter.  As  a  consequence,  nearly  all  the  labor 
of  the  villages  is  j)erformed  by  the  women  ;  the 
men  thinking  it  rather  beneath  them,  and  far  from 
manly,  to  engage  in  other  occupation  than  mahog- 
any-cutting and  the  building  of  boats,  in  which  art 


324  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE, 

they  are  very  expert,  using  the  axe,  saw,  and  adze 
with  great  skill.  Altogether,  the  Carjbs  are  kind, 
industrious,  provident,  honest,  and  faithful,  and 
must  ultimately  constitute  one  of  the  most  import- 
ant aids  to  the  development  of  the  country.  They 
are  brave,  and  some  companies,  which  have  been  in 
the  ser\ace  of  the  government,  have  distinguished 
themselves  in  the  field,  not  less  for  their  subordina- 
tion than  for  their  valor  and  powers  of  endurance. 
They  are  usually  temperate,  and  it  is  rare  to  see 
one  of  them  drunk,  except  during  the  continuance 
of  some  festival,  of  which  they  have  several  in  the 
course  of  the  year. 

I  remained  but  a  few  days  at  Brus,  and  availed 
myself  of  the  departure  of  a  large  creer,  or  Carib 
boat,  bound  for  Roatan,  to  take  passage  for  that 
island.  I  could  not  prevail  upon  my  host  to  accept 
any  .thing  in  return  for  his  hospitality,  except  "  El 
Moro,"  for  whom  one  of  his  children  had  conceived 
a  strong  liking,  which  the  bird  was  far  from  recip- 
rocating. Mischievous  Moro  !  The  last  I  saw  of 
liim  was  while  waddHng  stealthily  across  the  floor, 
to  get  a  bite  at  the  toes  of  his  admirer  ! 

Our  coiu'se  from  Brus  lay,  first,  to  the  island  of 
Gunaja,  distinguished  historically  as  the  one  whence 
Columbus  first  descried  the  mainland  of  America. 
Our  sole  purpose  there  was  to  carry  a  demijohn  of 
brandy  to  a  solitary  Scotchman,  living  upon  one 
of  the  cays  which  surround  it,  to  whom  it  had 
been  sent  by  some  friend  in  Belize.  It  had  been 
intrusted  to  the  Carib  owner  of  the  boat,  who  went 


APPKOACH     TO     GUANA.)  A 


325 


thus  out  of  his  way  to  fulfill  his  commission,  with- 
out recompense  or  the  hope  of  reward.  One  would 
suppose  that  a  demijohn  of  brandy  was  a  danger- 
ous article  to  intrust  to  the  exclusive  custody  of 
Indians ;  but  those  who  know  the  Caribs  best  have 
most  faith  in  their  integrity. 

The  Bay  of  Honduras  is  remarkable  for  its  gen- 
eral placidity,  and  the  extreme  purity  of  its  waters. 
It  has  a  large  number  of  coral  cays  and  reefs  on  its 
western  border,  which  almost  encircle  the  penin- 
sula of  Yucatan,  as  with  a  belt.  The  fine  islands 
of  Roatan  and  Guana j  a  are  belted  in  like  manner, 
but  there  are  several  openings  in  the  rocky  barriers 
which  surround  them,  through  which  vessels  may 
enter  the  protected  waters  within. 


APPROACH     TO     GUANA.7\. 


The  wind  was  fresh  and  fair,  the  slv}^  serene,  and 
the  sea  was  bright  and  sparkling  in  the  sunlight. 
We  swept  on  swiftly  and  gayly,  the  pine-clad 
mountains  of  Guanaja  rising  slowly  and  smilingly 
above  the  horizon.  By-and-by  the  palm-trees  on 
the  surrounding  cays  became  visible,  their  plumes 
appearing  to  spring  from  the  clear  waters,  and  to 
rise  and  fall  with  the  motion  of  our  boat.     As  we 


326  THE    MOSQUITO    SHOKE. 

approaclied  nearer  to  them,  we  could  make  out  the 
cays  themselves,  supporting  masses  of  emerald  ver- 
dure, within  a  silvery  ring  of  sand.  Between  them 
and  the  island,  with  its  wealth  of  forest,  the  sea 
was  of  the  loveliest  blue,  and  placid  as  a  "  painted 
ocean."  But,  before  we  reached  their  fairy-like 
shores,  the  wind  died  away,  and  our  sail  drooped 
from  the  mast.  We  were  partly  under  the  lee  of 
the  land,  and  the  sm-face  of  the  sea  soon  became 

'■ charmed  in  a  calm  so  still 


That  not  a  ripple  ruffled  its  smooth  face." 

And  as  we  drifted  on,  our  boat  yielding  to  the  gen- 
tle swells,  I  amused  myself  in  looking  over  the 
side,  and  contemplating  the  forms  of  marine  life 
which  the  transparent  water  revealed  to  our  gaze. 
The  bottom  was  distinctly  visible,  studded  with 
the  wonderful  products  of  the  coral  polypus,  here 
spreading  out  like  fans,  there  taking  the  forms  of 
flattened  globes  radiating  with  spines,  and  yonder 
shooting  up  in  branching,  antler-like  stems.  Dark 
patches  of  jelly-like  sponge,  the  white  shells  of 
myriads  of  conchs,  and  occasionally  a  large  fish, 
whose  pulsating  gills  alone  gave  sign  of  life — all 
these  contributed  to  lend  variety  and  interest  to 
those  glimpses  of  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  It  was  to 
me  a  new  revelation  of  Nature,  and  as  I  gazed,  and 
gazed,  the  musical  song  of  the  "  dainty  Ariel " 
rang  its  bell-like  cadences  ia  my  ears  ; 

"  Full  fathoms  five  thy  father  lies ; 
Of  his  bones  are  corals  made ; 


MOONLIGHT     MUSINGS.  327 

Those  are  pearls  that  were  his  eyes ; 

Nothing  of  him  that  doth  fade, 
But  dotli  suffer  a  sea-change 

Into  something  rich  and  strange  !" 

Our  men  stretched  themselves  in  the  bottom  of 
the  boat,  waiting,  as  they  said,  for  the  evening 
breeze.  But  the  evening  breeze  came  not,  and  they 
were  finally  obliged  to  paddle  the  boat  to  the  near- 
est cay — a  coral  gem  indeed,  with  its  clustering 
palms,  drooping  gracefully  over  the  sea,  as  if,  Nar- 
cissus-like, contemplating  their  own  beauty  in  its 
mirror-Hke  surface. 

The  moon  was  in  her  first  quarter,  and  as  she 
rose  above  the  placid  sea,  revealing  the  island  in  its 
isolation  and  beauty,  jeweled  round  with  cays,  I 
seated  myself  apart,  on  the  sand  of  the  shore,  and 
drank  in  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  Gradually  my 
thoughts  recurred  to  the  past,  and  I  could  hardly 
realize  that  but  little  more  than  five  months  had 
elapsed  since  I  had  held  an  unwitting  conference 
with  the  demon,  in  my  little  studio  in  White-street. 
And  yet  what  an  age  of  excitement  and  adventure 
had  been  crowded  in  that  brief  space  !  I  felt  that 
I  had  entered  upon  a  new  world  of  ideas  and  im- 
pressions, and  wondered  to  think  that  I  had  lived 
so  long  immured  in  the  dull,  unsympathizing  heart 
of  the  crowded  city.  It  was  with  a  pang  of  regret 
that  I  now  found  myself  drifting  upon  civilization 
again.  A  few  days  would  bring  me  to  Belize, 
where  I  knew  Antonio  would  leave  me,  to  return  to 
the  fastnesses  of  his  people.  Where  then  should  I  go  ? 


328  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

These  reflections  saddened  me,  and  the  unwilling 
conviction  was  forced  upon  my  mind  that  I  must 
soon  be  roused  from  my  long,  delicious  dream,  per- 
haps never  again  to  court  its  enchantments  with 
success.  I  gazed  upon  the  moonlit  waters,  and  lis- 
tened to  the  gentle  chime  of  the  waves  upon  the 
sand,  and  almost  regretted  that  I  had  been  admit- 
ted within  the  grand  arcanum  of  Nature,  to  adore 
her  unvailed  beauties,  since  they  were  now  to  be 
shut  out  from  me  forever,  by  the  restraints,  the  un- 
meaning forms,  the  follies  and  vices  of  artificial 
life !  A  heavy  weight  of  melancholy  settled  on  my 
heart,  and  I  bowed  my  head  on  my  knees,  and — 
shall  I  own  it  ? — wept  ! 

It  was  then  that  Antonio  approached  me,  silent- 
ly as  when  he  stole  to  my  side  on  the  fearful  night 
of  our  shipwreck,  and  quietly  laid  his  hand  on  my 
shoulder.  I  knew  who  it  was,  but  I  said  nothing, 
for  I  hesitated  to  betray  my  emotion. 

He  respected  my  silence,  and  waited  until  my 
momentary  weakness  had  passed  away,  when  I 
raised  my  head,  and  met  his  full  and  earnest  gaze. 
His  face  again  glowed  with  that  mysterious  intelli- 
gence which  I  had  remarked  on  several  previous  oc- 
casions ;  but  now  his  lips  were  unsealed,  and  he 
said  : — 

"  This  is  a  good  place,  my  brother,  to  tell  you 
the  secret  of  my  heart  ;  for  on  that  dark  island 
slumber  the  bones  of  our  fathers.  It  was  there 
that  my  powerful  ancestor,  Baalam  Yotan,  led  the 
white-robed  holy  men,  when  thev  fled  from  the  re- 


BAALAM     VOTAN.  329 

gions  of  the  rising  sun.  It  was  there  that  our  peo- 
jjle  raised  a  temple  to  the  Imperial  Tiger,  whose 
descendant  I  am — for  am  I  not  Baalam,''-"  and  is  not 
this  the  Heart  of  the  People  ?" 

This  exclamation  was  made  with  energy,  and,  for 
a  moment,  he  was  silent,  and  gazed  earnestly  uj)on 
his  cherished  talisman. 

When  he  resumed,  it  was  in  a  less  exalted  strain. 
He  told  me  of  the  ancient  greatness  of  his  people, 
when  the  race  of  Baalam  Votan  reigned  over  the 
Peninsula  of  Yucatan,  and  sent  the  missionaries  of 
their  religion  to  redeem  the  savage  nations  which 
surrounded  them,  even  to  the  country  of  the  Huas- 
tecas,  on  the  river  of  Panuco.  It  was  then,  he 
said,  that  the  Lord  of  Life  smiled  on  the  earth  ; 
then  the  ears  of  maize  were  many  times  larger  than 
now,  the  trees  were  loaded  with  unfailing  supplies 
of  fruit,  and  bloomed  with  j)erenuial  flowers  ;  the 
cotton  grew  of  many  colors  ;  and,  although  men 
died,  their  spirits  walked  the  earth,  and  held  famil- 
iar converse  with  the  children  of  the  Itzaes. 

Never  have  I  heard  a  voice  more  intense  and  fer= 
vid  than  that  of  the  Indian  boy,  as  he  described  the 
traditionary  golden  age  of  his  people.  I  listened 
with  breathless  interest,  and  thought  it  was  thus 
that  the  prophets  of  old  must  have  spoken,  when 

^  Baalam,  in  the  language  of  Yucatan,  signifies  Tiger,  and  Votan 
is  understood  to  denote  Heart  The  Maya  tradition  is,  that  Baalam 
Votan,  the  Tiger-Heart,  led  the  fathers  of  the  Mayas  to  Yucatan, 
from  a  distant  country.  He  is  conspicuously  figured  in  the  ruined 
temples  around  the  Lake  of  Itza,  as  well  as  at  Cliichen  and  Pa- 
lenque. 


330  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

the  people  deemed  them  inspired  of  heaven.  But 
when  he  came  to  recount  the  wrongs  of  his  nation, 
and  the  destruction  of  the  kingdom  of  his  fathers, 
I  could  scarcely  believe  that  the  hoarse  voice,  and 
words  hut  half-articulated  from  excess  of  passion, 
proceeded  from  the  same  lips.  It  was  a  fearful 
sight  to  witness  the  convulsive  energy  of  that  In- 
dian hoy,  whose  knotted  muscles,  and  the  veins 
swelling  almost  to  bursting  on  his  forehead,  half-in- 
duced me  to  fear  that  he  had  been  stricken  with 
madness. 

But  soon  he  became  calm  again,  and  told  me 
how  the  slumbering  spirit  of  his  people  had  become 
roused,  and  how  wide-spread  and  terrible  was  the 
revenge  which  they  were  meditating  upon  their  op- 
pressors. A  few  years  before,  his  father  had  gath- 
ered the  descendants  of  the  ancient  Caziques  amid 
the  ruins  at  Chichen-Itza,  and  there  they  had 
sworn,  by  the  Heart  of  Baalam  Votan,  to  restore  the 
rule  of  the  Holy  Men,  and  expel  the  Spaniards  from 
the  Peninsula,  It  was  then,  that  the  sacred  relic 
which  he  wore  on  his  breast  had  been  dug  up  from 
the  hiding-place  where  it  had  lain  for  centuries,  to 
lend  the  sanctity  and  power  of  the  traditionary 
Votan  to  his  chosen  successor.  But  the  movement 
had  been  joremature  ;  and  although  the  excited,  but 
poorly-armed  Indians  performed  prodigies  of  valor, 
and  carried  their  victories  to  the  very  walls  of  Me- 
rida,  yet  there  they  received  a  sudden,  and,  as  it 
seemed,  a  final  check,  in  the  death  of  Chichen-Pat, 
their  cherished  leader.     He  fell  at  the  head  of  his 


THE     GREAT     CONSPIRACY.  331 

followers,  who  rescued  only  the  talisman  of  Votan, 
called  the  "  Heart  of  the  People/'  and  then  fled  in 
dismay  to  their  fastnesses  in  the  wilderness.  But 
the  spirit  which  had  been  evoked  was  not  subdued. 
Another  convocation  was  held,  and  the  only  son  of 
their  late  leader  was  invested  with  the  symbol  of 
authority.  A  scheme  of  insurrection  was  devised, 
which  was  intended  to  include,  not  only  the  Indians 
of  Yucatan  and  of  Central  America,  but  even  those 
of  Mexico  and  Peru,  in  one  grand  and  terrible  up- 
rising against  the  Spanish  dominion. 

To  this  end  messengers  were  sent  in  every  direc- 
tion ;  'and  the  proud  cavalier  at  Bogota  or  Mexico, 
spurring  his  horse,  with  arrogant  mien,  past  the 
strange  Indian,  who  shrank  aside  at  his  approach,  or 
stood  with  head  uncovered  in  his  presence,  little 
thought  what  torrents  of  hate  were  dammed  up  in 
that  swarthy  breast,  or  what  wide-laid  schemes  of 
vengeance  were  revolving  beneath  that  impassi- 
ble brow  !  The  emissaries  toiled  through  wilder- 
nesses and  deep  marshes,  over  high  mountains  and 
dangerous  rivers,  enduring  hunger  and  fatigue,  and 
the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  to  fulfill  their  re- 
spective missions.  Even  the  daughters  of  the  Holy 
Men,  like  the  seeress  of  the  river  Bocay,  ventured 
afar  from  the  homes  of  their  people,  and  among  dis- 
tant and  alien  tribes,  became  the  propagandists  of 
the  meditated  Revenge  ! 

The  niffht  had  worn  on,  and  the  crescent  moon 
rested  on  the  verge  of  the  horizon.     I  had  heard  the 


332  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

great  secret  of  the  Indian  boy  ;  his  bitter  recital  of 
past  wrongs  and  failures,  and  his  hopes  of  future 
triumph.  I  now  knew  that  the  angel  of  blood  was 
indeed  abroad,  and  that,  in  his  own  figurative  lan- 
guage, "  The  voice  of  the  Tiger  was  loud  in  the 
mountain  !" 


FAREWELL  TO  THE  MOSQUITO  SHORe! 

I  was  silent  and  thoughtful  when  he  had  fin- 
ished ;  but  when,  after  a  long  pause,  he  asked, 
"  Will  my  brother  go  with  me  to  the  lake  of  the 
Itzaes  T'  I  grasped  his  hand  and  swore,  by  a  name 
holier  than  that  of  Votan,  to  justify  a  friendship  so 
unwavering  by  a  faith  as  boundless  as  his  own. 
And  when  I  left  the  outposts  of  civilization,  and 
plunged  into  the  untracked  wilderness,  with  no 
other  friend  or  guide,  never  did  a  suspicion  or  a 
doubt  darken  for  an  instant  my  confidence,  or  im- 
pair my  faith  in  the  loyal  heart  of  Antonio  Chul — 
once  the  mild-eyed  Indian  boy,  but  now  the  dreaded 
chieftain  and  victorious  leader  of  the  unrelenting 
Itzaes  of  Yucatan  ! 


THE     GREAT     CONSPIRACY.  333 

Time  only  can  determine  what  will  be  tlie  final  re- 
sult of  the  contest  which  is  now  waging  upon  the  soil 
of  that  beautiful,  but  already  half-desolated  penin- 
sula. Almost  every  arrival  brings  us  the  news  of  in- 
creased boldness,  and  new  successes  on  the  part  of 
the  Indians  ;  and,  it  now  seems,  as  if  the  great 
drama  of  the  conquest  were  to  be  closed  by  the  de- 
struction of  the  race  of  the  conquerors  !  Terribly 
the  frown  darkens  on  the  front  of  Nemesis  ! 

"  The  voice  of  the  Tiger  is  loud  in  the  moun- 
tain !" 


APPENDIX. 


A. 

HISTORICAL    SKETCH    OF    THE    :srOSQUITO    SHORE. 

The  general  physical  cliaracteristics,  and  the  climate  and 
productions  of  the  Mosquito  Shore,  have  probably  been  suiB- 
ciently  indicated  in  the  foregoing  rapid  narrative.  Never- 
theless, to  supply  any  deficiencies  which  may  exist  in  these 
respects,  as  well  as  to  illustrate  the  history  of  this  coast,  to 
which  recent  political  events  have  given  some  degree  of  in- 
terest, I  have  here  brought  together  a  variety  of  facts  derived 
from  original  sources,  or  such  as  are  not  easily  accessible  to 
the  general  reader. 

The  designation  "  Mosquito  Shore"  can  only  properly  be 
understood  in  a  geographical  sense,  as  applying  to  that  por- 
tion of  the  eastern  coast  of  Central  America  lying  between 
Cape  Gracias  a  Dios  and  Bluefields  Lagoon,  or  between  the 
twelfth  and  fifteenth  degrees  of  north  latitude,  a  distance  oi 
about  two  hundred  miles.  The  attempts  which  have  been 
made  to  apply  this  name  to  a  greater  extent  of  shore,  have 
had  their  origin  in  strictly  political  considerations. 

This  coast  was  discovered  by  Columbus,  in  his  fourth  voy- 
age, in  1502.     He  sailed  along  its  entire  length,  stopping  at 


336  (THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

various  i^oints,  to  investigate  tlie  country,  and  ascertain  the 
character  of  its  inhabitants.  He  gave  it  the  name  Cariay, 
and  it  was  accurately  characterized  by  one  of  his  compan- 
ions, Porras,  as  "  una  -tierra  muy  baja^''  a  very  low  land. 
Columbus  liimself,  in  his  letter  to  tlie  Spanish  sovereigns, 
describes  the  inhabitants  as  fishers,  and  "  as  great  sorcerers, 
very  terrible."  His  son,  Fernando  Columbus,  is  more  expli- 
cit. He  says,  they  were  "  almost  negroes  in  color,  bestial, 
going  naked ;  in  all  respects  very  rude,  eating  human  flesh, 
and  devouring  their  fish  raw,  as  they  happened  to  catch 
them."  The  language  of  the  chroniclers  warrant  us  in  be- 
lieving that  these  descriptions  applied  only  to  the  Indians  of 
the  sea-coast,  and  that  those  of  the  interior,  whose  language 
then  was  different,  were  a  distinct  people. 

The  great  incentive  to  Spanish  enterprise  in  America,  and 
which  led  to  the  rapid  conquest  and  settlement  of  the  conti- 
nent, was  the  acquisition  of  the  precious  metals.  But  little 
of  these  was  to  be  found  on  the  Mosquito  Shore,  and,  as  a 
consequence,  the  tide  of  Spanish  adventure  swept  by,  heed- 
less of  the  miserable  savages  who  sought  a  precarious  sub- 
sistence among  its  lagoons  and  forests.  It  is  true,  a  grant  of 
the  entire  coast,  from  Cape  Gracias  to  the  Gulf  of  Darien, 
was  made  to  Diego  de  Nicuessa,  for  purposes  of  colonization, 
within  ten  years  after  its  discovery,  but  the  expedition  which 
he  fitted  out  to  carry  it  into  effect,  was  wrecked  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Cape,  or  Wanks  river,  which,  in  consequence  bore,  for 
many  years,  the  name  of  JRio  de  los  Perdidos. 

From  that  time  forward,  the  attention  of  Spain  was  too 
much  absorbed  with  the  other  parts  of  her  immense  empire 
in  America,  to  enable  her  to  devote  much  care  to  this  com- 
paratively unattractive  shore.  Her  missionaries,  inspired 
with  rehgious  zeal,  nevertheless  penetrated  among  its  people. 


HISTORICAL    SKETCH.  339 

augmented  in  number  by  the  cimarones^  or  runaway  slaves 
of  the  Spanish  settlements  in  the  interior ;  and,  intermingling 
with  the  Indians,  originated  the  mongrel  race  which  now 
predominates  on  the  Mosquito  Shore.  Still  later,  when 
the  English  planters  from  Jamaica  attempted  to  establish 
themselves  on  the  coast,  they  brought  their  slaves  with 
them,  who  also  contributed  to  increase  the  negro  element. 
What  are  called  Mosquito  Indians,  therefore,  are  a  mixed 
race,  combining  the  blood  of  negroes,  Indians,  pirates,  and 
Jamaica  traders. 

Many  of  the  pirates  were  Englishmen,  and  all  had  rela- 
tions more  or  less  intimate  with  the  early  governors  of 
Jamaica,  who  often  shared  their  profits,  in  return  for  such 
indulgences  as  they  were  able  to  afibrd.  Indeed,  it  is  al- 
leged that  they  were  often  partners  in  the  enterprises  of  the 
buccaneers.  But  when  the  protracted  wars  with  Spain, 
which  favored  this  state  of  things,  were  brought  to  a  close,  it 
became  no  longer  prudent  to  connive  at  freebooting ;  and,  as 
a  kind  of  intelligence  had  sprung  up  with  the  Mosquito 
Shore,  they  conceived  the  idea  of  obtaining  possession  of  it, 
on  behalf  of  the  British  crown.  Various  plans  to  this  end, 
drawn  up  by  various  individuals,  were  at  this  period  pre' 
sented  to  the  royal  government,  and  by  them,  it  would  seem, 
referred  to  the  governors  of  Jamaica. 

But  the  governors  of  that  island  had  already  taken  the  in- 
itiative. As  early  as  1687  one  of  the  Mosquito  chiefs  had 
been  taken  to  Jamaica,  for  the  purpose  of  having  him  place 
his  country  under  the  protection  of  England.  Sir  Hans  Sloane 
has  left  an  account  of  how,  having  escaped  from  his  keepers, 
"  he  pulled  oft*  the  European  clothes  his  friends  had  put  on, 
and  climbed  to  the  top  of  a  tree  !" 

It  seems,  nevertheless,  that  he  received  "  a  cocked  hat,  and 


340  THE     MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

a  ridiculous  piece  of  writing,"  which,  according  to  Jefireys, 
was  a  commission  as  king,  "  given  by  his  Grace,  the  Duke  of 
Albemarle,  under  the  seal  of  the  island !" 

It  was  not,  however,  until  1740,  that  an  attempt  was 
made  to  obtain  a  cession  of  the  coast,  from  the  extraordinary 
monarch  thus  created  by  the  Duke  of  Albemarle.  In  that 
year  Governor  Trelawney  wrote  to  the  Duke  of  Newcastle, 
suggesting  the  expediency  of  rousing  the  Mosquito  Indians 
against  the  Spaniards,  vsdth  whom  the  English  were  at  war, 
and  puq)osing  an  absolute  occupation  of  their  country.  He 
represented  that  there  were  about  one  hundred  Englishmen 
there,  "  mostly  such  as  could  live  nowhere  else^''  who  might 
be  brought  together,  reenforced,  and,  by  the  help  of  the 
Mosquitos,  finally  induce  the  other  Indians  to  revolt,  "  and 
thus  spread  the  insurrection  from  one  part  to  another,  till  it 
should  become  general  over  the  Indies,  and  drive  the  Span- 
iards entirely  out" 

In  pursuance  of  this  scheme.  Governor  Trelawney  commis- 
sioned one  Robert  Hodgson,  to  proceed  to  the  Mosquito 
Shore,  fully  provided  with  every  thing  necessary  to  enable 
him  to  tamper  with  the  Indians.  The  manner  in  which  he 
executed  his  instructions  is  naively  told  by  Hodgson  himself, 
in  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Governor.  The  following  ex- 
tracts are  from  the  original  letter,  now  in  the  possession  or 
Colonel  Peter  Force,  of  Washington. 

Sandy  Bat,  April  8th,  1740. 
"  May  it  please  Tour  Excellency, — 

"  I  arrived  at  St.  Andrews  on  the  4th  of  March,  and  sailed  for 
Sandy  Bay  on  the  8th,  where  I  arrived  on  the  11th,  but  was  pre- 
vented by  a  Norther  from  going  ashore  till  the  13th. 

"  King  Edward  being  informed  of  my  arrival,  sent  me  word  that 
he  would  see  me  next  day,  which  he  did,  attended  by  several  of  hia 
captains.    I  read  to  him  Tour  Excellency's  letter,  and  my  own  com- 


HISTORICAL     SKETCH.  341 

mission,  and  wlion  I  had  explained  them  by  an  interpreter,  I  told 
them  my  errand,  and  recommended  to  them  to  seek  aU  opportimities 
of  cultivating  friendship  and  union  with  the  neighboring  Indian  na- 
tions, and  especially  such  as  were  under  subjection  to  the  Spaniards, 
and  of  helping  them  to  recover  their  freedom.  They  approved  every 
thing  I  said,  and  appointed  the  16th  to  meet  the  Governor,  John  Brit- 
on, and  his  captains  at  the  same  place,  to  hear  what  I  had  further 
to  say. 

"  On  the  16th  they  all  came,  except  Admiral  Dilly  and  Colonel 
Morgan,  who  were,  hke  General  Hobby  and  his  captains,  at  too  great 
a  distance  to  be  sent  for,  but  their  presence  not  being  material,  I  pro- 
ceeded to  explain  to  them  that,  as  they  had  long  acknowledged 
themselves  subjects  of  Great  Britain,  the  Governor  of  Jamaica  had 
sent  me  to  take  possession  of  their  country  in  His  Majesty's  name — 
then  asked  if  they  had  any  thing  to  object.  They  answered,  they  had 
nothing  to  say  against  it,  but  were  very  glad  I  had  come  for  that  pur- 
pose ;  so  I  immediately  set  up  the  standard,  and  reducing  what  I  had 
said  into  articles,  I  asked  them  both  jointly  and  separately,  if  they 
approved,  and  would  abide  by  them.  They  unanimously  declared 
they  would.  I  had  them  then  read  over  again,  in  solemn  manner, 
under  the  colors,  and,  at  the  end  of  every  article  fired  a  gun,  and 
concluded  by  cutting  up  a  turfj  and  promising  to  defend  their  country, 
and  procure  for  them  all  assistance  from  England  in  my  power. 

"  The  formaUty  with  which  aU  this  was  done  seems  to  have  had  a 
good  effect  upon  them. 

"The  articles  I  enclose,  and  hope  Tour  Excellency  will  excuse  so 
much  ceremony ;  for,  as  I  had  no  certain  information  whether  the 
country  was  ever  taken  possession  of  before,  or  ever  claimed  other- 
wise than  by  sending  them  down  commissions,  I  thought  the  more 
voluntary  and  clear  the  cession  was  the  better.  *  *  *  The  king 
is  very  young,  I  believe  not  twenty,  and  is  not  much  observed  ;  but 
were  he  to  be  in  England  or  Jamaica  a  while,  His  thought  he  would 
make  a  hopeful  monarch  enough. 

"On  the  18th  the  king,  with  his  captains,  came  of  their  own  ac- 
cord to  consult  about  a  proper  plan  to  attack  [the  Spaniards],  but 
hearing  that  Captain  Jumper  was  expected  from  the  other  side  of  tho 
Cape,  and  neither  the  Governor,  Admiral  Dilly,  nor  Colonel  Morgau 


342  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

being  present,  I  thought  it  best  to  defer  it  till  they  were  summoned. 
The  king  brought  his  mother,  and  the  captains  their  wives.  I  enter- 
tained them  as  usual,  but  there  always  comes  such  a  train  thai  I 
should  have  had  three  or  four,  instead  of  one  puncheon  of  rum."  *  *  * 

Hodgson  then  goes  on  to  describe  the  appearance  of  one 
Andrew  Stewart,  a  pirate,  to  whom  the  Indians  had  made  a 
promise  of  assistance,  from  which  he  endeavored  to  dissuade 
them,  in  order  to  accompany  him ;  but  the  Indians  finally 
agreed  to  attack  the  river  Cocelijo  to  obhge  Stewart,  and 
San  Juan  de  Veragua  to  oblige  Hodgson.     He  continues  : — 

*  *  *  "They  intoxicate  themselves  with  a  liquor  made  of 
honey,  pine-apple,  and  cassava,  and,  if  they  avoid  quarrels,  which 
often  happen,  they  are  sure  to  have  fine  promiscuous  doings  among 
the  girls.  The  old  women,  I  am  told,  have  the  liberty  of  chewing  the 
cassava,  before  it  is  put  in,  that  they  may  have  a  chance  in  the  gen- 
eral rape  as  well  as  the  young  ones. 

"I  fell  into  one  of  their  drunken-bouts  by  accident  yesterday, 
when  I  found  Admiral  Dilly  and  Colonel  Morgan  retailing  my  advice 
to  them  to  little  effect,  for  most  of  them  were  too  drunk  to  mind  it, 
and  so  hideously  painted  that  I  quickly  left  them  to  avoid  being 
daubed  all  over,  which  is  the  compliment  they  usually  pay  visitors 
on  such  occasions. 

*  *  *  "  Their  resentment  of  adultery  has  lost  its  edge  too  much 
among  them,  which  I  have  no  doubt  they  are  obliged  to  us  for,  as 
also  for  the  breach  of  promise  in  their  bargains.  *  *  *  They  wiU 
loU  in  their  hammocks  untQ  they  are  almost  starved,  then  start  up, 
and  go  a  turtling  in  a  pet ;  and  if  they  have  not  immediate  success, 
and  their  happens  to  be  many  boats  together,  they  form  a  design 
upon  some  Spanish  or  Indian  town.  *  *  *        * 

"  The  country  is  fine,  and  produces  good  cotton,  better  than  Ja- 
maica. *  *  *  Those  Indians,  on  this  side,  do  not  appear  so 
averse  to  government  as  I  supposed,  and  those  on  the  other  are 
tractable  enough.  *  *  *  I  don't  take  their  number  to  be  so 
many  as  the  author  of  the  project  makes  them  out. 

(Signed)  "Robert  HoDGfSON." 


HISTORICAL    SKETCH.  343 

In  a  subsequent  letter,  from  Chiriqui  Lagoon,  dated  June 
21,  1740,  Hodgson  gives  a  further  account  of  his  expedi- 
tion, and  asks  for  some  blank  commissions  for  Mosquito 
admirals  and  generals,  and  also  implores  the  Governor  to 
send  him  out  some  men  as  a  guard ;  for,  he  says,  "  my  life 
is  in  more  danger  from  these  Indians  than  from  the  Sjian- 
iards." 

Previously  to  this  mission  of  Hodgson,  viz.,  on  the  28th  of 
October,  the  Spanish  Embassador  in  London  had  made  com- 
plaints that  the  incursions  of  the  Zambos  and  Indians  of  the 
Mosquito  Shore,  on  the  adjacent  Spanish  settlements,  -were 
"  at  the  instigation  and  under  the  protection  of  the  English 
of  Jamaica,  who  have  a  commerce  with  them,  and  give  them 
in  exchange  for  the  captive  Indians  whom  they  purchase  for 
slaves,  firearms,  powder,  shot,  and  other  goods,  contrary  to 
the  natural  rights  of  these  people." 

The  "  cession"  of  the  Mosquito  Shore,  thus  procured  by 
Hodgson,  was  followed  up  by  occupation.  Several  Jamaica 
planters  established  themselves  there,  and  Hodgson  shortly 
afterward  received  the  appointment  of  "  Superintendent  of 
the  Mosquito  Shore." 

In  1744  an  order  was  issued  in  Council,  dispatching  a  cer- 
tain number  of  troops  from  Jamaica  to  the  Mosquito  Shore, 
and  in  1748  another  order  for  sending  a  supply  of  ordnance 
to  the  "new  settlements"  established  there.  In  fact,  every- 
thing indicated  the  purpose  of  a  permanent  occupation  of 
the  country.  The  Spaniards  remonstrated,  and  in  1750-51 
threatened  a  forcible  expulsion  of  the  English,  whereupon 
Trelawney  instructed  Hodgson  to  represent  to  them,  that 
"  the  object  of  keeping  a  superintendent  among  the  Indians 
was  to  restrain  them  in  their  hostilities  against  the  Span- 
iards !"     For  a  time  the  Spaniards  were  deceived,  and  even 


344  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

went  so  far  as  to  confer  on  Hodgson  the  title  of  Colonel,  for 
the  services  which  he  professed  to  render  to  them.  They, 
however,  finally  discovered  his  duplicity,  and  made  arrange- 
ments to  cany  out  their  threat. 

This  not  only  alarmed  the  settlers,  but  also  Governor 
Knowles,  who  had  succeeded  Trelawney  in  Jamaica.  He 
opened  a  correspondence  with  the  Captain-General  of  Guate- 
mala for  the  cessation  of  hostilities,  till  he  could  hear  from 
England,  whither  he  wrote  that  the  whole  Mosquito  afl:air  was 
"  a^ofi,"  and  that  if  Hodgson  were  not  checked  or  recalled,  "he 
would  involve  the  nation  in  difiiculties,"  and  that  the  "  In- 
dians were  so  perplexed  that  they  did  not  know  what  part  to 
take."  A  little  later  the  Indians  themselves  took  up  arms 
against  the  English,  being  discontented  with  the  treatment 
which  they  had  received. 

These  things  did  not  escape  the  notice  of  Spain,  and  had 
their  influence  in  bringing  about  the  troubles  which  were 
ended  by  the  treaty  of  Paris,  in  1763,  by  which  Great  Britain 
agreed  to  demolish  all  the  fortifications  which  she  had  erect- 
ed, not  only  on  the  Mosquito  Shore,  but  in  all  "  other  places 
in  the  territory  of  Spain,  in  that  part  of  the  world."  This 
treaty,  nevertheless,  did  not  have  the  effect  of  entirely  term- 
inating English  intrigue  and  aggression  on  the  Mosquito 
Shore  and  elsewhere,  and  its  provisions  were  consequently 
revived,  and  made  more  explicit  and  stringent  by  the  subse- 
quent treaty  of  1783.  This  treaty  provided  that  all  the 
"  English  settlements  on  the  Spanish  continent"  should  be 
abandoned ;  but,  on  the  pretext  that  "  the  Mosquito  Shore 
was  not  part  of  the  Spanish  continent,  but  of  the  American 
continent,"  the  English  managed  to  evade  its  provisions,  and 
to  keep  up  their  connection  with  that  coast,  as  before.  This 
piece  of  duplicity  led  to  severe  reclamations  on  the  part  or 


HISTORICAL    SKETCH.  845 

Spain,  which  were  only  settled  by  the  supplementaiy  treaty 
of  1*786,  which  stipulated  that 

"His  Britannic  Majesty's  subjects,  and  other  colonists  who  have  en- 
joyed the  protection  of  England,  shall  evacuate  the  country  of  the 
Mosquitos,  as  well  as  the  continent  in  general,  and  the  islands  adja- 
cent without  exception,"  etc.  And  that  "If  there  should  still  remain 
any  persons  so  daring  as  to  presume,  by  entering  into  the  interior 
country,  to  obstruct  the  evacuation  agreed  upon,  His  Britannic  Majes- 
ty, so  far  from  affording  them  any  succor  or  protection,  will  disavow 
them  in  the  most  solenm  manner,"  etc.,  etc. 

The  English,  nevertheless,  under  authority  of  another  arti- 
cle of  this  treaty,  were  allowed  to  cut  logwood,  within  a 
certain  accurately-defined  territory  on  the  coast  of  Yucatan, 
now  known  as  "  Belize,"  or  "  British  Honduras,"  But  they 
were  strictly  forbidden  to  make  pennanent  establishments, 
erect  fortifications,  or  organize  any  form  of  government ;  nor 
was  the  jjermission  thus  accorded  to  be  construed  as  in  any 
way  derogating  from  the  "  sovereign  territorial  rights  of  the 
King  of  Spain,"  Yet  from  this  simple  permission  to  cut 
wood,  thus  hedged  round  with  solemn  treaty  stipulations, 
Great  Britain,  by  a  series  of  encroachments  and  aggressions 
has  come  to  arrogate  absolute  sovereignty,  not  only  over  Be- 
lize and  a  wide  expanse  of  adjacent  territory,  but  also  over 
the  large  islands  of  Roatan,  Guanaja,  etc.,  in  the  Bay  of  Hon- 
duras, which  have  been  organized  as  colonies  of  the  British 
crown ! 

From  1786  forward.  Great  Britain  ceased  to  hold  any 
open  relations  with  the  Mosquito  Indians,  until  the  decline 
of  the  power  of  Spain,  and  the  loss  of  her  American  posses- 
sions. In  the  interval,  the  governors  of  the  provinces  of  Cen- 
tral America  had  made  various  establishments  on  the  Mos- 

15* 


346  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

quito  Shore,  at  Cape  Gracias,  and  at  Bluefields,  and  had 
erected  a  foit  for  the  protection  of  the  harbor  of  San  Juan, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  the  same  name. 

But  when  the  country  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  com- 
paratively feeble  states  of  Central  America,  whom  it  was  sup- 
posed could  offer  no  effectual  resistance  to  aggression,  the 
English  revived  their  schemes  of  aggrandisement  on  the  Mos- 
quito Shore.  And  while  these  states  were  occupied  with  the 
questions  incident  to  their  new  political  organization,  agents 
were  dispatched  to  the  coast,  from  Jamaica  and  Belize,  to 
tamper  again  with  the  Indians,  and  to  induce  them  to  reject 
the  authority  of  the  republics  which  had  succeeded  to  the 
rights  of  Spain.  In  this  they  seem  to  have  been,  to  a  certain 
degree,  successful.  Neither  rum,  nor  commissions  as  kings, 
admirals,  generals,  and  governors,  were  wanting,  to  operate 
upon  the  weakness  of  the  savages.  "A  regalia,"  says  Mac- 
gregor,  "  consisting  of  a  silver-gilt  crown,  a  sword,  and  scep- 
tre of  moderate  value,"  were  sent  out  to  lend  dignity  and 
grandeur  to  the  restored  dynasty  of  Mosquito !  A  savage 
chief,  or  head-man,  who  suited  the  purposes  of  the  Jamaican 
Warwicks,  was  pitched  upon,  taken  to  Belize,  and  foi-mally 
"  crowned."  But  he  turned  out  badly.  In  the  language  of 
Macgregor,  in  his  Report  to  the  British  Parliament,  "  he 
combined  the  bad  qualities  of  the  European  and  Creole,  with 
the  vicious  propensities  of  the  Sambo,  and  the  capriciousness 
of  the  Indian."  He  was  killed  in  a  drunken  brawl,  in  1824, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  half-brother,  Robert.  But  it  was 
soon  found  that  Robert  was  in  the  Spanish  interest,  and  he 
was  accordingly  set  aside,  by  the  British  agents,  who  took 
into  favor  a  Sambo,  named  "  George  Frederick."  But  he, 
too,  proved  to  be  an  indifferent  tool,  and  either  died,  or  was 
dropped,  for  another  Sambo,  who  was  called  by  the  high- 


HISTORICAL     SKETCH.  347 

sounding  name,  of   "  Robert  Charles  Frederick^''  and   who 
promised  to  answer  every  purpose. 

His  "  coronation"  was  effected  at  Belize,  on  the  23d  of 
April,  1825,  upon  which  solemn  occasion  a  number  of  so- 
called  chiefs  were  got  together,  under  the  seductive  promise 
of  a  "  big  drunk."  The  ceremonies  which  took  place  have 
been  described  by  a  British  subject,  who  was  an  eye-witness 
of  the  proceedings.  His  picture  needs  no  heightening  to 
make  it  irresistibly  ludicrous  ! 

"  On  the  previous  evening  cards  of  invitation  were  sent  to  the  dif- 
ferent merchants,  requesting  their  attendance  at  the  court-house 
early  in  the  morning.  At  this  place  the  king,  dressed  in  a  British 
major's  uniform,  made  his  appearance;  and  his  chiefs  similarly 
clothed,  but  with  sailors'  trowsers,  were  ranged  around  the  room.  A 
more  motley  group  can  hardly  be  imagined.  Here  an  epaulette 
decorated  a  herciilean  shoulder,  tempting  its  dignified  owner  to  view 
his  less  favored  neighbor  with  triumphant  glances.  There  a  want- 
ing button  displayed  a  greasy  olive  skin  under  the  uniform  of  a  cap- 
tain of  infantry.  At  one  side  a  cautious  noble  might  be  seen,  carefully 
braced  up  to  the  chin,  like  a  modern  dandy,  defying  the  most  pene- 
trating eye  to  prove  him  shirtless ;  wliile  the  mathematical  movements 
of  a  fourth,  panting  under  such  tight  habiliments,  expressed  the  fear 
and  trembUng  with  which  he  awaited  some  awful  accident. 

"  The  order  of  procession  being  arranged,  the  cavalcade  moved  to- 
ward the  church ;  his  Mosquito  Majesty  on  horseback,  supported  on 
the  right  and  left  by  the  two  senior  British  ofScers  of  the  settlement, 
and  liis  chiefs  following  on  foot  two  by  two.  On  its  arrival  his 
Majesty  was  placed  in  a  chair,  near  the  altar,  and  the  English  coro- 
nation service  was  read  by  the  chaplain  to  the  colony,  who,  on  this 
occasion,  performed  the  part  of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 
When  he  arrived  at  this  part,  '  And  all  the  people  said,  let  the  King 
live  forever,  long  live  the  King,  God  save  the  King !'  the  vessels  of 
the  port,  according  to  a  previous  signal,  fired  a  salute,  and  the  chiefs 
rising,  cried  out,  'Long  five  King  Eobert!' 

"  His  Majesty  seemed  chiefly  occupied  in  admiring  his  finery,  and. 


348  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

after  his  anointing,  expressed  his  gratification  by  repeatedly  thrust- 
ing his  hands  through  his  thick,  bushy  hair,  and  applying  his  finger, 
to  his  nose — in  this  expressive  manner  indicating  his  delight  at  this 
part  of  the  service. 

"  Before,  however,  his  chiefs  could  swear  allegiance  to  their  mon- 
arch, it  was  necessary  that  they  should  profess  Christianity ;  and,  ac- 
cordingly, with  shame  be  it  recorded,  they  were  baptized  '  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  G-host!'  They  displayed  total  ig- 
norance of  the  meaning  of  this  ceremony ;  and  when  asked  to  give 
their  names,  took  the  titles  of  Lord  Eodney,  Lord  Nelson,  or  some 
other  celebrated  officer,  and  seemed  grievously  disappointed  when 
told  that  they  could  only  be  baptized  by  simple  Christian  names. 

"  After  this  solemn  mockery  was  concluded,  the  whole  assembly 
adjourned  to  a  large  school-room  to  eat  the  coronation  dinner,  when 
these  poor  creatures  all  got  intoxicated  with  rum !  A  suitable  con- 
clusion to  a  farce,  as  blasphemous  and  wicked  as  ever  disgraced  a 
Christian  country."     {Dunn's  Central  America,  pp.  26,  27. — 1828.) 

After  having  been  thus  invested  with  the  Mosquito  purple, 
"  King  Robert  Charles  Frederick"  was  conducted  back  to  the 
Mosquito  Shore,  and  turned  loose  to  await  the  further  devel- 
opment of  British  designs.  After  the  unctious  ceremonies  at 
Belize,  he  seems  to  have  taken  the  proceeding  in  earnest, 
and  to  have  deluded  himself  with  the  belief  that  he  was  really 
a  king !  In  this  character,  and  moved  thereto  by  the  sug- 
gestions of  divers  scheming  traders,  and  the  powei'ful  incen- 
tives of  gay  cottons  and  rum,  he  proceeded,  of  his  sovereign 
will  and  pleasure,  to  make  grants  to  the  aforesaid  traders,  of 
large  portions  of  his  alleged  dominions.  These  grants  were 
not  only  so  extensive  as  to  cover  the  entire  shore,  but  con- 
veyed the  absolute  sovereignty  over  them  to  the  various 
grantees — Rennick,  Shepherd,  Haly,  and  others. 

When  these  proceedings  came  to  the  ears  of  the  Governor 
of  Jamaica,  and  the  Superintendent  of  Belize,  who  had  cre- 
ated "  His  Mosquito  Majesty"  for  their  own  use  and  purposes. 


HISTORICAL     SKETCH.  349 

they  created  great  alarm.  Says  Macgregor,  "  it  appears  that 
these  grants  were  made  without  the  knowledge  of  the  British 
agent,  who  had  usually  been  residing  on  the  coast,  to  keep 
up  the  connection  with  England!'''  He  adds  that  "  upon  their 
coming  to  the  knowledge  of  the  British  government,  they 
were  very  properly  disallowed." 

Not  only  were  they  disallowed,  but  a  vessel  of  war  was 
sent  to  the  coast  to  catch  "  Robert  Charles  Frederick,"  and 
take  him  to  Belize,  where  he  would  be  unable  to  do  more 
mischief.  This  was  done,  but  "  His  Majesty"  could  not 
endure  the  restraints  of  civilization — ^he  pined  away,  and 
died.  But  before  this  lamentable  catastrophe  took  place,  he 
was  induced  to  affix  "  his  mark"  to  a  document  styled  "  a 
Will,"  in  which  it  was  provided  that  the  affairs  of  his  king- 
dom should  be  administered  by  Colonel  McDonald,  the  Su- 
perintendent of  Belize,  as  Regent,  during  the  minority  of  his 
heir ;  that  McDonald  should  be  guardian  of  his  children ; 
and,  with  reference  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  his  beloved  sub- 
jects, "  the  United  Church  of  England  and  Ireland  should  be 
the  established  religion  of  the  Mosquito  nation  forever !" 
Sainted  Robert ! 

Upon  the  death  of  "  Robert  Charles  Frederick,"  his  son, 
"  George  William  Clarence,"  the  present  incumbent  of  the 
Mosquito  throne,  was  duly  proclaimed  "  King"  by  the  Re- 
gent McDonald,  and  his  colleagues.  His  first  act,  under  their 
direction,  was  the  revocation  of  all  the  grants  which  his  fa- 
ther had  made  to  the  traders,  on  the  gTound  that  the  royal 
Robert  Charles  was  drunk  when  he  made  them,  and  that 
they  had  been  given  without  a  consideration.  An  agent  was 
then  appointed  to  take  charge  of  this  tender  scion  of  royal- 
ty, at  Bluefields,  where  the  latter  still  remains,  in  complete 
subjection  to  his  masters,  who  direct  all  his  acts,  or  rather 


350  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

compel  his  endorsement  of  their  own.  From  1841  up  to  1848 
the  proceedings  of  the  English  agents,  in  developing  their 
policy  in  respect  to  the  Mosquito  Shore,  and  in  preparing  the 
Avay  for  its  final  aggregation  to  the  British  crown,  rise  be- 
yond the  scope  of  sober  history  or  serious  recital,  and  could 
only  be  properly  illustrated  by  the  appropriate  pens  of  Chari- 
vari, or  of  Punch. 

All  these  proceedings  were  firmly  and  earnestly  protested 
against  by  the  Central  American  States,  who,  however,  re- 
ceived no  satisfactory  replies  to  their  remonstrances.  They 
were,  furthermore,  too  much  occupied  with  their  own  interior 
dissensions  to  vmdertake  any  efiectual  resistance  to  the  aggres- 
sions of  the  Enghsh  agents.  In  this  emergency  they  addressed 
an  appeal  to  the  civilized  nations  of  Europe,  and  a  particular 
and  fervent  one  to  the  Uruted  States,  for  its  interference 
in  behalf  of  their  clear  territorial  rights  and  sovereignty. 

Before  time  was  afibrded  for  action  on  these  appeals,  the 
termination  of  the  war  with  Mexico,  and  the  purchase  of 
California  by  the  United  States,  precipitated  the  course  of 
English  intrigue  and  encroachment  on  the  Mosquito  Shore. 
The  British  government  was  not  slow  to  perceive  that  the 
acquisition  of  California  would  give  to  the  long-cherished 
project  of  establishing  a  ship-canal  between  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  Oceans,  a  new,  practical,  and  immediate  importance, 
and  rightly  foresaw  that  it  would  soon  come  to  attract  a 
large  share  of  public  attention  in  the  United  States.  Orders 
were  at  once  issued  for  the  seizure  of  the  Port  of  San  Juan 
de  Nicaragua,  the  only  possible  eastern  terminus  for  a  canal 
by  way  of  the  river  San  Juan,  and  the  Nicaraguan  lakes. 
This  port  had  always  been  in  the  undisputed  occupation  both 
of  Spain  and  Nicaragua ;  not  a  single  Mosquito  Indian  had 
ever  dwelt  there,  or  within  fifty  miles  of  it,  in  any  direction. 


HISTORICAL     SKETCH.  351 

yet,  under  pretext  that  it  constituted  "  part  of  the  proper  do- 
minions of  his  Mosquito  Majesty,  of  whom  Great  Britain  was 
the  lawful  protector,"  two  British  vessels-of-war  entered  the 
harbor  in  the  month  of  January,  1848,  tore  down  the  Nicara- 
guan  flag,  raised  that  of  "  Mosquito,"  turned  out  the  Nicara- 
guan  officers,  and  filled  their  places  Avith  Englishmen.  This 
done,  they  sailed  away ;  but  no  sooner  did  the  intelligence 
of  the  event  reach  the  interior,  than  the  Nicaraguan  govern- 
ment sent  down  a  small  force,  expelled  the  intruders,  and 
resumed  possession.  The  British  foi'ces,  considerably  aug- 
mented, thereupon  returned.  The  Nicaraguans,  unable  to 
oppose  them,  retired  up  the  river,  and  erected  some  rude 
fortifications  on  its  banks.  They  were  followed  by  an  Eng- 
lish detachment,  and  finally  routed,  with  great  loss.  Hostil- 
ities were  further  prosecuted,  until  the  Nicaraguans,  power- 
less against  the  forces  of  Great  Britain,  consented  to  an  ar- 
mistice, which  provided  that  they  should  not  disturb  San 
Juan,  or  attempt  to  reoccupy  the  port,  pending  the  negotia- 
tions which,  it  was  foreseen,  would  follow  upon  the  seizure. 
All  attempts  to  induce  them  to  relinquish  their  claims  of 
sovereignty  over  the  port,  w^ere,  however,  unsuccessful. 

By  this  high-handed  act,  committed  in  time  of  profound 
peace,  Lord  Palmerston,  who  had  directed  it,  fondly  hoped 
to  secure  for  Great  Britain  the  control  of  the  then-supposed 
only  feasible  means  of  communication  between  the  seas.  He 
had  grasped,  as  he  thought,  the  key  of  the  Central  American 
Isthmus.  English  officers  were  at  once  installed  in  San . 
Juan,  and  a  "  Consul  General"  appointed  to  reside  there, 
with  the  most  absolute  dictatorial  powers,  supported  by  what 
was  called  a  "  police  force,"  from  Jamaica,  and  the  almost 
constant  presence  of  a  British  vessel  of  war  in  the  harbor. 

This  act  was  shortly  followed  by  the  attempted  seizure  of 


352  THE     MOSQUITO     SHOKE. 

the  Island  of  Tigre,  and  tlie  Gulf  of  Fonseca,  tlie  supposed 
western  terminus  of  the  proposed  canal,  on  the  Pacific.  This 
attempt  was  thwarted  by  American  diplomacy  in  that  quarter. 
The  results  of  American  interference  are  too  recent  and 
well-known  to  need  recapitulation.  An  American  company 
obtained  the  privileges  of  a  transit  through  Nicaragua,  and 
it  was  not  long  before  American  steamers  began  to  run  to 
San  Juan.  A  large  number  of  American  citizens  established 
themselves  at  the  port,  where  they  soon  succeeded  in  sufib- 
cating  British  influence.  They  took  the  direction  of  affairs 
in  their  own  hands,  adopted  a  constitution,  and  organized  a 
regular  and  stable  government,  pending  the  final  settlement 
of  the  various  questions  concerning  Central  America,  then  in 
course  of  negotiation  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain.  In  this  condition  the  place  remained,  well-ordered, 
and  aftbrding  the  fullest  protection  to  person  and  property, 
until  the  month  of  June  of  last  year,  when,  under  a  misrepre- 
sentation of  facts,  and  the  grossest  perversions  of  truth,  in- 
spired by  unscrupulous  personal  hostility,  the  United  States 
government  was  induced  to  issue  such  orders  in  respect  to  it, 
to  a  naval  oflScer  of  more  zeal  and  ambition  of  notoriety 
than  either  wisdom  or  discretion,  as  resulted  in  its  bombard- 
ment and  total  destruction.  Since  this  act,  which  has  met 
the  unanimous  reprehension  of  the  country,  the  town  has 
been  partly  rebuilt  and  re-occupied,  and  now  maintains  an 
extraordinary  and  most  anomalous  condition,  which  can  not 
long  endure  without  resulting  in  serious  complications.  The 
United  States  insists,  and  justly,  that  it  pertains  to  Nicara- 
gua, and  that  all  authority  which  may  be  exercised  there, 
not  derived  from  that  State,  is  an  usurpation  ;  while,  on  the 
other  hand,  without  insisting  on  the  sovereignty  of  Mosquito, 
Great  Britain  denies  it  to  Nicaragua,  and  prohibits  her  from 


HISTORICAL    SKETCH,  353 

attempting  to  exercise  jurisdiction  over  it.  Meantime  San 
Juan  and  its  people  are  left  helplessly  in  a  political  Limbo, 
suffering  witnesses  of  their  inability  to  serve  two  masters. 
The  obvious,  and  probably  the  only  peaceable  solution  of  this 
complication,  is  the  voluntary  establishment  of  San  Juan  as 
a  free  port  by  Nicaragua,  under  the  joint  protection  of  Eng- 
land and  the  United  States. 

Since  1849,  nearly  the  whole  interest  of  the  "  Mosquito 
question"  has  been  centered  in  San  Juan.  It  is  true,  Messrs. 
Webster  and  Cramj^ton  agreed  upon  a  pr<yet^  defining  the 
limits  of  Mosquito  jurisdiction,  and  establishing  a  de  facto 
Sambo  monarchy  on  the  coast,  recognized,  if  not  guaranteed, 
both  by  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain.  But  the  projet 
found  no  favor  in  this  country,  and  was,  moreover,  indig- 
nantly rejected  by  Nicaragua.  How  far  subsequent  nego- 
tiations have  tended  to  bring  affairs  to  a  settlement,  remains 
to  be  disclosed. 

It  is  nevertheless  certain  that,  while  Nicaragua  has  fretted, 
the  United  States  blustered,  and  Great  Britain  silently  and 
sullenly  relaxed  her  gripe,  as  circumstances  have  rendered  it 
necessary,  the  "Kingdom  of  Mosquito"  has  undergone  no 
change,  but  has  kept  on  the  even  tenor  of  its  way — a  happy 
illustration  of  the  conservative  and  peaceful  tendencies  of 
well-established  monarchical  institutions !  Under  all  the 
complications  of  the  modern  time,  the  royal  Clarence,  the 
hospitable  Drummer,  and  the  bibulous  Slam,  ignorant  of  the 
exalted  place  which  they  occupy  in  the  instructions,  and  dis- 
patches, and  notes  of  conference,  wherewith  the  Slams  and 
Drummers  of  other  lands  do  gravely  amuse  themselves,  still 
cherish  the  well-being  of  their  beloved  and  fellow-subjects, 
who,  in  turn,  hunt,  and  fish,  and  cultivate  the  "  big  drunk" 
as  of  yore  !  S. 


B. 


VARIOUS  NOTES  ON  THE  TOPOGRAPHY,  SOIL,  CLIMATE, 
AND  NATIVES  OF  THE  MOSQUITO  SHORE. 

The  subjoined  extracts,  from  various  published  works  and 
memoirs  of  acknowledged  authenticity,  and  from  original 
documents,  exhibit  the  condition  of  the  people  of  the  Mos- 
quito Shore,  their  habits  and  modes  of  life,  from  the  year 
1700  up  to  the  present  time.  It  will  be  seen  that  few  if 
any  changes  have  taken  place  for  the  better,  in  this  long 
period  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  years. 

1710. 
From  Dampier'^s  "Voyage  around  the  World,"  London,  llll,  p.  7-11. 
"  The  Mosquito  Indians  are  but  a  small  nation  or  family, 
and  not  a  hundred  men  of  them  in  number,  inhabiting  on 
the  main,  on  the  north  side,  near  Caj^e  Gracias  a  Dios,  *  * 
They  are  coveted  by  the  privateers  as  hunters.  *  *  They 
have  no  form  of  government  among  them,  but  take  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Jamaica  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  princes  in  the 
world." 

1757. 

Extracts  from  "  Some  account  of  the  Mosquito  Territory,  written  in 
1757,  while  that  country  was  in  the  possession  of  the  British,  by  Col. 
Robert  Hodgson,  formerly  His  Majesty^ s  Commander-in-  Chief,  Super- 
intendent, and  Agent  on  the  Mosquito  S/wre. 

This  Colonel  Hodgson  was  son  of  the  Captain  Hodg- 
son  who    was    sent  to    the    Mosquito  Coast,  in   1740,  by 


NOTES    AND     EXTRACTS.  355 

Governor  Trelawney.  He  states  that  tlie  population  of  tlie 
shore,  at  the  time  of  his  writing  (1757),  exckisive  of  abor- 
igines was:  "Whites  154,  Mestizoes  and  Mulattoes  170,  In- 
dian and  Negro  slaves  800 — total  1124."  He  observes  that 
the  "  whites  are  without  laws,"  but,  nevertheless,  living  with 
great  regularity ;  and  that,  if  the  number  of  white  children 
is  small,  "  it  may  be  imputed  to  most  of  the  women  having 
lived  with  so  much  freedom  formerly."  He  then  proceeds  to 
give  a  very  clear  and  accurate  account  of  the  country,  its 
products,  and  people,  as  follows  :■ — 

"  The  face  of  the  country  is  various.  The  sea-coast,  from 
Cape  Cameron  to  Bluefields,  is  low  and  level,  but  the  land 
rises  gradually  up  any  of  the  large,  fair  rivers  with  which  it 
abounds,  and  whose  regular  flowery  banks  form  beautiful 
avenues,  and  about  twenty  miles  up  is  high  enough  for  any 
purpose.  But  the  lowland  is  full  of  swamps.  Near  the 
coast  are  several  large  lagoons,  whose  length,  for  the  most 
part,  is  parallel  thereto,  and  are  so  joined  to  each  other  by 
narrow  necks  of  water,  that  half  this  distance  may  be  gone 
inland,  upon  smooth  water ;  in  the  flood  times  this  may  be 
called  a  range  of  islands,  lying  close  in  with  the  main,  but 
the  land  is  not  much  overflowed.  To  the  westward  and 
southward  of  the  above  capes,  the  land  is  high,  almost  to  the 
sea-side,  the  hills  rising  gently  like  the  swell  of  the  sea.  The 
greater  part  of  the  higher  land  is  covered  with  large  woods  ; 
but  the  lowland  consists  chiefly  of  large,  level  lawns,  or  savan- 
nahs, as  they  are  called,  with  scarce  a  tree,  and  some  of  them 
very  extensive.  The  whole  countiy  is  remarkably  well  watered 
by  many  fine  rivers,  which  have  a  long  course  ;  by  innumer- 
able smaller  ones,  and  by  creeks  and  lagoons ;  but  all  the 
rivers  have  the  inconvenience  of  shoal  bars  at  their  mouths. 
The  soil   of  the  high  woody  land  is  the  best,  and  is  every 


356  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

where  excellent ;  being  either  a  deep  black  mould,  or  rich 
brick  clay.  What  low  woody  ground  is  interspersed  among 
the  lawns  is  not  so  good  ;  but  the  inhabitants  who  hitherto 
have  chosen  it  for  their  plantations,  have  found  that  it  will 
produce  what  they  want  very  well  The  savannah  lands  are 
the  worst;  the  soil  is  Hght  sand  mixed  with  some  rich  mould, 
but  might  be  greatly  improved  and  made  very  usefid.  At 
present  they  are  used  for  pasturage.  The  swamps  or 
marshes  are  very  rich  soil ;  and  if  the  wood  which  grows  on 
them  were  cut  down,  they  would  either  dry  up,  or,  with  a 
little  more  pains,  might  be  drained." — ^P.  21. 

"  Indigo  grows  all  about  the  country,  of  the  same  kind 
with  that  of  the  province  of  Guatemala,  which  is  esteemed 
the  best  in  the  world. 

"  Cotton  grows  every  where,  in  the  worst  land  ;  the  staple 
is  remarkably  good.  There  are  three  species  of  that  kind 
which  is  manufactured,  one  of  which  is  a  light  reddish 
brown,  and  looks  like  silk." — P.  23. 

"  Sugar,  of  which  the  little  that  is  planted  grows  remarka- 
bly well  in  this  country,  which  is  much  better  adapted  for  it 
than  any  of  the  islands,  on  account  of  the  great  convenience 
of  streams  of  water  for  such  works  and  for  carriage ;  the 
countiy  not  being  subject  to  severe  droughts,  and  free  from 
hurricanes." — P.  29. 

"  The  climate  is  very  sensibly  cooler  than  that  of  Jamaica, 
and  very  healthy,  on  which  account  peojsle  from  that  island 
sometimes  come  hither.  Indeed,  the  disorders  in  both  are 
of  the  same  nature ;  but  here  they  are  not  near  so  frequent 
or  so  violent  as  in  that  island.  During  the  north  winds  the 
season  may,  vdth  propriety,  be  called  winter. 

"  The  wind  most  common  is  the  sea-breeze,  or  trade-wind. 
It  blows  fresh  in  June  and  July,  but  very  moderate  in  April, 


NOTES    AND     EXTRACTS.  357 

May,  August,  and  September,  particularly  in  April,  and  from 
the  middle  of  August  to  the  latter  part  of  September.  But 
from  that  time  to  the  end  of  October,  a  Avesterly  wind  pre- 
vails along  the  coast  to  the  westward  of  Cape  Gracias,  and  a 
southerly  one  along  the  coast  to  the  south  of  it ;  after  which, 
to  the  end  of  February,  at  the  full  and  change  of  the  moon, 
strong  north  winds  may  be  expected,  veering  round  from  east 
to  west,  and  continuing  about  a  week,  yet  is  scarce  ever  so 
strong  as  to  prevent  vessels  from  beating  to  windward,  and, 
if  they  choose  it,  getting  in  to  Bonacca.  *  *  *  The  land 
wind  blows  seven  leagues  off  to  sea,  although  sometimes 
very  weak.  *  *  *  The  month  of  March  is  very  uncer- 
tain. The  seasons  are  much  the  same  as  in  other  parts  of 
the  continent.  In  the  rainy  season,  scarce  a  day  passes 
without  a  heavy  shower ;  the  first  commonly  begins  in  June, 
and  lasts  about  six  weeks,  in  which  time  the  rivers  rise  con- 
siderably, and  are  very  rapid.  The  second  begins  about  the 
middle  of  October,  and  lasts  about  two  months.  "When  they 
are  over,  the  vegetation  is  surjjrisingly  quick,  and  there  is 
the  further  advantage  of  frequent,  intermediate,  gentle 
showers.  *  *  *  The  harbors  on  this  coast  do  not  an- 
swer the  occasion  there  would  be  for  them.  On  the  bar  of 
Brewer's  Lagoon  there  is  seven  feet  water ;  often  more  on 
that  of  Black  River.  On  those  of  Carataska  and  Warina 
Sound,  nine  feet;  Great  River  and  Pearl  Cay,  eight 
feet.    *    *    * 

"  The  natives  or  Mosquito  people  are  of  two  breeds,  one 
the  original  Indians,  and  the  other  a  mixture  of  those  and 
negroes,  called  Sambos.  The  latter  originated  from  the 
cargoes  of  two  Dutch  ships  filled  with  negroes,  which  were 
cast  away  on  the  coast,  where,  after  several  battles,  the  ne- 
groes had  wives  and  ground  given  to  them ;  since  which  they 


358  THE     MOSQUITO     SHORE. 

have  greatly  multiplied,  and  there  is  now  no  distinction  be- 
tween them  in  their  rights  and  customs." — P.  40. 

"  Though  they  are  to  all  intents  and  purposes  one  people, 
yet  they  are  not  so  properly  a  single  state  as  three  united, 
each  of  which  is  independent  of  the  others. 

"  I.  Those  who  inhabit  the  southern  extremity  till  Brag- 
man's,  and  are  mostly  the  original  Indians ;  their  head-man 
is  called  Governor. 

"  II.  Those  who  extend  to  about  Little  Black  River,  and 
are  mostly  Sambos  ;  their  chief  is  called  King. 

"III.  Those  westward,  who  are  Indians  and  Sambos 
mixed  ;  their  head-man  is  called  General. 

"  The  power  of  these  three  head-men  is  nearly  equal,  with 
a  small  difference  in  favor  of  the  king,  who  is  a  little  sup- 
ported by  the  whites  for  the  sake  of  his  name.  But  none 
of  these  chiefs  have  much  more  than  a  negative  voice,  and 
never  do  any  thing  without  consulting  a  council  of  old  men. 

"  *  *  *  The  king  has  his  commission  or  patent  for 
being  called  so  from  the  Governor  of  Jamaica.  And  all  the 
other  chief  people  have  commissions  (admirals  and  captains) 
from  His  Majesty's  Superintendent ;  and,  upon  the  strength 
of  these,  always  assume  much  more  authority  than  they  could 
without.  However,  it  is  at  best  such  that  it  may  be  more 
properly  said,  that  their  directions  are  followed,  than  their 
orders  obeyed ;  for  even  the  young  men  are  above  serving 
the  king,  and  will  tell  him  that  they  are  as  free  as  he  is,  so 
that  if  he  had  not  a  few  slaves  of  other  Indians,  he  would  be 
obliged  to  do  all  his  own  work." — P.  49, 

Hodgson  next  speaks  of  the  ravages  of  small-pox  and 
drunkenness  among  them,  and  concludes  : 

«  *  *  *  Hence,  the  number  of  Mosquito  people,  in  their 
present  way  of  life,  probably  never  exceeded  ten  or  eleven 


NOTES     AND     EXTRACTS.  359 

thousand.  *  *  *  From  the  best  computation,  they  are  not 
above  seven  thousand  souls^ 

ITSY. 

George  Chalmers,  Secretary  of  Board  of  Trade.     From  MSS.  Notes 
for  use  of  Board. 

"  The  present  number  of  the  Mosquito  Indians  is  un- 
known. It  happened  among  them,  probably,  as  among  the 
North  American  Indians,  that  they  decHned  in  numbers  and 
degenerated  in  sjjirit  in  proportion  nearly  as  the  white  peo- 
ple settled  among  them.  The  Mosquitos,  hke  the  Caribs 
of  San  Domingo,  consist  of  three  distinct  races :  the  abo- 
rigines, the  descendants  of  certain  African  negi'oes  who  were 
formerly  wrecked  on  the  coast,  and  a  generation  containing 
the  blood  of  both.  If  the  Spaniards  earnestly  desired  to 
destroy  them,  they  could  not,  I  think,  make  a  very  vigor- 
ous resistance.  They  are  chiefly  defended  by  the  rivers, 
morasses,  and  woods  of  the  country,  and,  perhaps,  still  more 
by  the  diseases  incident  to  the  climate." 

1818. 

From  Roterts'  Narrative  of  Voyages  and  Excursions  on  the  East 
Coast  of  Central  America. 

"  In  the  Mosquito  Shore,  a  plurality  of  mistresses  is  con- 
sidered no  disgrace.  It  is  no  uncommon  circumstance  for  a 
British  subject  to  have  one  or  more  of  these  native  women 
at  different  parts  of  the  coast.  They  have  acquired  great 
influence  through  them. 

"  I  have  never  known  a  marriage  celebrated  among  them ; 
these  engagements  are  mere  tacit  agreements,  sometimes 
broken  by  mutual  consent.  The  children  here  and  at  Blue- 
fields  are  in  general  baptized  by  the  captains  of  trading  ves- 


360  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

sels  from  Jamaica,  who,  on  their  annual  visit  to  the  coast, 
perform  this  ceremony,  with  any  thing  but  reverence,  on  all 
who  have  been  bom  during  their  absence ;  and  many  of 
them  are  indebted  to  these  men  for  more  than  baptism.  In 
proof  of  this,  I  could  enumerate  more  than  a  dozen  ac- 
knowledged children  of  two  of  these  captains,  who  seem  to 
have  adopted,  without  scruple,  the  Indian  idea  of  polygamy 
to  its  fullest  extent.  By  this  licentious  and  immoral  con- 
duct, they  have,  however,  so  identified  themselves  with  the 
natives,  as  to  obtain  a  sort  of  monopoly  of  the  sale  of  goods. 
They  have  also  insinuated  themselves  into  the  good  graces 
of  some  of  the  leading  men,  so  that  their  arrival  is  hailed 
with  joy  by  aU  classes,  as  the  season  of  festivity,  revelry, 
christening,  and  licentiousness !" 

1828. 

From  "  Report  of  the  Commissioners  of  Legal  Inquiry  in  the  case  of 
the  Indians  of  Honduras,''^  ordered  by  the  House  of  Commons  "  to  he 
printed,''  July  10,  1828, 

"  The  Mosquito  Indians  are  a  barbarous  and  cruel  people, 
in  the  lowest  state  of  civiUzation,  and  under  the  most  abject 
subjection  to  their  kings  or  chiefs.  They  are  hostile  to  all  the 
other  Indian  nations,  who  are  a  mild,  timid,  and  peaceful 
race,  and  who  appear  to  live  under  patriarchal  governments. 
*  *  *  Differences  so  striking  between  nations  of  the  same 
continent,  and  divided  by  no  inaccessible  barriers,  have 
given  rise  to  a  conjecture,  confirmed  by  concurrent  tradition, 
that  the  Mosquitos  had  a  distinct  origin.  This  tradition 
states,  that  a  ship  loaded  with  negro  men  from  Africa  was, 
at  a  very  remote  period,  wrecked  on  the  Mosquito  shore ; 
that  these  negroes  seized  upon  the  male  inhabitants  of  the 
sea-coasts,  massacred  them,  and  then,  by  intermixture  with 


NOTES    AND    EXTRACTS,  361 

the  Indian  women,  altered  the  race  and  habits  of  the  nation. 
This  tradition  is  confirmed  by  the  physical  appearance  of  the 
Mosquitos,  who  indicate  this  mixture  between  the  Indian 
and  negro." 

1836. 

James  Woods,  for  some  iiTne  a  resident  on  the  Mosquito  Shore. 

In  the  year  1836,  one  James  Woods,  a  native  of  Ipswich, 
England,  went  out  to  Central  America,  under  the  auspices  of 
a  "  Colonization  Company."  On  his  return,  he  published  an 
account  of  his  adventures,  to  serve  as  a  warning  against 
other  companies.  He  resided  awhile  at  Cape  Gracias,  in 
charge  of  a  store  of  provisions,  rum,  etc.     He  says  : 

"  The  rum  was  a  dangerous  thing  in  the  store,  for  the  In- 
dians will  kill  a  man  for  a  glass  of  rum ;  and  there  were 
only  five  Europeans  at  the  Cape.  I  had  a  demijohn  of 
brandy  for  the  Indian  king,  but  he  was  gone  up  the  river. 
He  and  his  brother  were  taken  from  the  Mosquito  shore 
when  young,  and  carried  to  the  island  of  Jamaica,  where 
they  were  taught  to  read  and  write  the  English  language. 
After  staying  there  a  number  of  years,  they  were  brought 
back  to  the  shore.  One  was  made  king,  the  other  a  gen- 
eral, and  although  brought  up  in  a  civilized  state,  yet  they 
returned  to  the  wild  and  savage  condition  in  which  their 
people  live,  getting  drunk,  and  giving  themselves  up  to  the 
most  disgusting  habits.  No  sooner  had  the  king  heard  that 
I  had  a  demijohn  of  brandy  for  him,  than  he  set  out  to  re- 
turn home.  He  Avent  to  the  house  of  a  Frenchman,  named 
Bouchet,  who  came  down  to  the  beach  and  told  me  his 
majesty  wanted  to  see  me.  I  went  to  the  house,  where  the 
king  was  lying  on  a  bed,  rather  unwell.  I  made  my  com- 
pliments to  him,  and    asked  him  how  he  did.     He  told  me 

16 


362  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 

he  was  very  poorly,  unci  wanted  a  gallon  of  brandy,  which  I 
accordingly  got  for  him.  He  asked  nae  to  drink,  and  stay 
and  dine  with  him,  which  I  did.  He  told  me  that  he  loved 
me.  I  replied,  '  You  love  the  brandy  better  ;'  but  I  turned 
it  off  with  a  laugh,  or  he  would  have  been  offended  with  me. 
He  staid  for  two  or  three  days,  and  then  left  for  Bluefields. 
*  *  *  These  Indians  far  exceed  all  the  Indians  I  have  ever 
met  with  in  lying,  thieving,  and  every  thing  that  is  disgust- 
ing. They  are  given  up  to  idolatry,  and  lead  an  indolent 
life."  After  giving  details  of  their  ignorance  and  barbarism, 
he  adds :  "  They  are  also  great  drunkards,  and  are  never 
easy  except  when  they  are  diomk."  And  of  the  EngUsh 
settlers  and  traders,  he  says :  "  They  are  almost  as  bad  as 
the  natives,  and  live  in  almost  as  disgusting  a  manner." 


c. 

BRIEF  VOCABULARY  OF  THE  MOSQUITO  LANGUAGE. 

In  language,  the  Mosquitos  differ  wholly  from  the  neigh- 
boring Indians,  so  that  they  are  unable  to  communicate  with 
them,  except  through  interpreters.  This  fact,  not  less  than 
their  different  character  and  habits  of  life,  go  to  show  that 
they  are  of  a  radically  different  stock.  From  their  long  in- 
tercourse with  the  English,  they  have  adopted  many  English 
words,  which  are  nevertheless  pronounced  in  a  manner  which 
renders  them  nearly  unintelligible.  Their  own  language, 
however,  is  not  deficient  in  euphony,  although  defective  in 
grammatical  powers.  It  has  no  article,  definite  or  indefinite ; 
but  the  numeral  adjective  kuml  (one),  is  used  whenever 
the  idea  of  number  is  prominent.  The  adjectives  follow  the 
noun,  as  do  also  the  numerals.  All  nouns  are  understood  to 
be  masculine,  unless  qualified  by  the  Avord  mairen  (woman 
or  female).  The  pronouns  are  twelve  in  number,  but  have 
neither  gender  nor  number,  both  of  which  must  be  inferred 
from  the  connections  in  which  they  are  used.  The  verbs 
have  mood,  tense,  and  person,  but  are  wanting  in  number. 

English.  Mosquito. 

Man,  waikna. 

Woman,  mairen. 

Father,  aize. 


364 


THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 


Mother, 

yapte. 

Boy, 

tukta. 

Girl, 

kiki. 

Husband, 

maia. 

Wife, 

maia-mairen. 

Head, 

lel. 

Hand, 

mita. 

Mouth, 

bila. 

Foot, 

mena. 

Blood, 

tala. 

House, 

watla. 

Thing-, 

dera. 

Dory, 

duerka-taira. 

Paddle, 

kuahi. 

Arrow, 

trisba. 

Harpoon, 

waisku,  silak. 

Gun, 

rokbus. 

Sea, 

kabo. 

River, 

awala. 

Water, 

li. 

Food, 

phm. 

Cassava, 

yaura. 

Bread, 

tane. 

Maize, 

aya. 

Fish, 

inska. 

Iguana, 

kakamuk. 

Stone, 

walpa. 

Sky, 

kasbrika. 

Sun, 

lapta. 

Moon, 

kati. 

Star, 

silma. 

Wind, 

pasa. 

VOCABULARY. 

Thunder, 

alwane. 

Earthquake, 

niknik. 

Island, 

daukwara. 

Chief, 

wita. 

Paint, 

orowa. 

Curassow, 

kusu. 

Dog, 

yul. 

Monkey, 

ruskika,  waklin, 

Ox, 

hip,  (beef?) 

Deer, 

sula. 

Alligator, 

tura. 

Manitus, 

palpa. 

Forest, 

untara. 

Savannah, 

twi. 

Cotton, 

wamuk. 

Palm-tree, 

hatak. 

Mahogany, 

yulu. 

Cocoas, 

duswa. 

I, 

yung. 

Thou, 

man. 

He, 

wetin. 

This, 

baha. 

That, 

naha. 

Other, 

wala. 

To  drink. 

diaia. 

To  eat, 

piaia. 

To  run. 

plapia. 

To  paddle, 

kaubia. 

To  laugh. 

kikia. 

To  speak. 

aisaia. 

To  hear, 

walaia. 

To  sleep. 

yapaia. 

365 


366  THE    MOSQUITO    SHORE. 


1, 

kumi. 

2, 

wal. 

3, 

niupa. 

4  (2+2,) 

walwal.                           '^ 

•5, 

matasip. 

6, 

matlalkabe. 

^(6  +  1), 

matlalkabe  puri  kumi. 

8  (6  +  2), 

matlalkabe  puri  wal. 

9(6  +  3), 

matlalkabe  puri  niupa. 

10(5X2), 

matawalsip. 

11  (5X2  +  1), 

matawalsip  pura  kumi. 

20(20X1), 

iwanaiska  kumi. 

21  (20x1  +  1), 

iwanaiska  kumi  pura  kumi. 

( iwanaiska  kumi  pura  mata- 
(      walsip. 

30  (20x1  +  10), 

/  iwanaiska  kumi  pura  matawal- 
J.      sip   pura    matlalkabe   pura 

37  (20x1  +  10  +  6  +  1), 

'      kumi. 

40  (20X2), 

iwanaiska  wal. 

100  (20X5), 

iwanaiska  matsip. 

THE     END. 


6697      5 


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